Slayers Extra
by Moonhawk
Summary: This story takes place around the same time as the anime, Slayers Next, except that there's another sorceress involved.
1. Slayers Extra Chapter 1

Ok…a short introduction so that readers wouldn't be completely confused. ^_^' This story takes place a short while before the start of Slayers Next. Which means that Lina and Gourry have not gone to Zoana and met Amelia or Zelgadiss yet. I have attempted to explain some of the incidents that occur between scenes. These are all my version of the story, so it may not be true. But I hope I have made it believable. J Ok I'm done. On with the story…

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Chapter One: Revenge? Watch out, Lina Inverse!

A young woman stood alone in the still burning wreckage of her town, tears flowing down her face. She walked slowly to a patch of clear ground where she had just buried her loved ones. Kneeling brokenly before her parents' graves, she vowed, "Lina Inverse! You have destroyed my home and my life. You will pay for this… _I_ will make you pay!!"

Not far away, a cloaked figure sitting in the branches of a tree heard the girl's shout. "Hmm… How interesting," he said, smiling. Then he vanished.

The girl staggered back to the remains of her house. The fire had not touched her magically protected clothes. Not caring if she was seen or not, Kera Yurion stripped off her burnt clothing and put on her travelling clothes that consisted of a blue tunic over a pale yellow shirt and tights. She put on her matching gloves and boots, then took out her prized hand-dagger. Kera gritted her teeth and cut off all of her beautiful, dark brown, knee length hair except for a few locks at the nape of her neck. Keeping her hair would only remind her of her parents. She braided the remaining locks together. Sheathing her dagger, she buckled on her long sword and blue-green cape, then gazed at the direction where Lina and her gang had taken. She hooded herself and walked out of the burnt village.

Suddenly, there was a person in priest's robes in front of her. The purple-haired man smiled genially at her, then he opened his eyes. She stared, then said, "Mazoku!"

"Hmm… you're perceptive," commented Xelloss. "However, I'm not here to fight you. Whether you believe it or not, I want to help you."

"Because I look pathetic?" Kera asked sarcastically, keeping her hand on her sword hilt.

"Tsk tsk, if you think that way, you've already lost half the battle," said Xelloss, wagging his finger at her. "Besides, that hair-style makes you look good too."

Kera ignored that last statement. "Then what do you want? Do you really expect me to believe that you will help me?" Kera asked, still not completely at ease with the presence of a Mazoku.

"No, not really…" said the Trickster priest. "But it make things much more convenient."

"You still haven't told me what you want with me," said Kera, crossing her arms.

"I haven't? Oh… That's my secret," said Xelloss, winking at her.

"Is that right? Well, good-bye then," said Kera, walking away.

Undaunted, Xelloss followed her, still smiling. Kera ignored him pointedly. After a long while, the priest caught up with her and said, "By the way, my name is Xelloss. What's yours?"

"That is my secret," said Kera, smiling slightly.

Xelloss raised an eyebrow, then said, "Whoa, that's a long name. Can I call you Secret or would you prefer being called Kera?"

Surprised, Kera whirled around to stare at him. "H-how did you know?"

Xelloss winked and raised his finger, about to say his pet phrase again, when Kera interrupted him, "Never mind. I don't really care, since we're not going to be travelling companions."

"Oh, aren't we? We've been together for quite some time now," Xelloss said.

Kera did not answer that but continued walking. "It's all right if we don't talk that often," remarked Xelloss. "I understand that you've just gone through an emotional trauma and your head is not very clear yet, so-"

"Shut up or get lost, Xelloss. If you want to travel with me, that's fine, but don't talk so much, ok?" Kera said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, so you've finally decided to accept me as your travelling companion. Is that right?" Xelloss said.

"Well, it looks like I have no choice. You'll just follow me anyway," said Kera, still walking.

"That's true. Well, for one thing, you do know where you're going, don't you?" Xelloss asked.

"Frankly, no. I'm just following the path that Lina and that blond swordsman took," replied Kera. "Do you know where they're heading?"

"Yes," Xelloss replied, to Kera's surprise. "They're going to Zoana. I think they heard something about a Clair Bible there."

"A Clair Bible? But there isn't a Clair Bible in Zoana," said Kera, raising an eyebrow.

"They don't know that," said Xelloss, winking. "Anyway, they will probably meet a couple of their companions there so it wouldn't be a wasted trip."

"Huh? How do you know all these? … Wait, I know. It's your secret, right?" Kera said, sighing. "Oh, forget it."

"Yep. That's right. I can't go around revealing my secrets, now, can I?" Xelloss said.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There was a short silence. The two of them continued walking towards Zoana. "So what are you going to do when you reach Zoana?" Xelloss asked Kera.

"I'm not very sure," she said. "I guess I will check Lina out, see how good she really is."

"And then…" prompted Xelloss.

"Plan on how to teach her a lesson," said Kera, clenching her fists.

"Just like that? You're not going to kill her?" Xelloss said, seeming surprised.

"No. I've had enough of killing," said Kera.

"Why? Ah, I see. You did something in the past that you regretted deeply, so…"

"Shut up, Xelloss."

"Ah ha! I've hit a nerve, haven't I?"

"So what if you have? It doesn't change anything anyway."

"Maybe if you told me what happened? At least it would make you feel better," said Xelloss. "Or maybe you would prefer to call it your 'secret'?"

Kera stared at him, startled. "A Mazoku feeling concerned for a human? That's a laugh," she said cynically.

Xelloss put on a hurt look. "Mazoku are not all bad, you know?"

"Yeah, right. And pigs can fly," said Kera dryly.

"You can make a pig fly," disagreed Xelloss.

"Just shut up, ok? It wouldn't hurt your mouth to be rested for a while."

"Fine, fine. Oh, by the way, I won't be going to Zoana with you," said Xelloss. "I have a little business to attend to."

"Good riddance," said Kera, smiling.

"Don't worry, I'll find you again once Lina and the others leave Zoana."

"Damn," muttered Kera in an undertone.

"What did you say? Aw, come on… I know you simply love my company and will feel terribly lonely without me," said Xelloss, smiling at her. "But we won't be separated for long, so don't miss me too much, ok?"

Frowning, Kera did not reply to that.

"And you're such delightful company too. I will miss you, bye," said Xelloss, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"Ugh!" Kera exclaimed, wiping her cheek hastily. "You pervert! What did you do that for?! Xel- Oh. He's gone. Finally."

Sighing in relief, Kera continued on her way. Now that Xelloss was gone, she relaxed more and inevitably started recalling what happened scarcely a few hours ago.

* Flashback *

Kera was on her way back to her home village when she saw thick, black smoke being emitted from that direction. Horrified, Kera started running along the trodden path, carrying the cakes that she had been sent to buy from the town. A terrible sight greeted her shocked eyes. Almost all of the wooden houses were on fire, including the one she shared with her parents. The huge fire devoured any living creature, its choking smoke finished the job of killing the inhabitants of the village. Kera knew that this was sorcery almost immediately. A few of the remaining villagers were chasing a couple of travellers— a redheaded sorceress and a blond swordsman out of the village. The others were trying to put out the fire, but in vain. Kera wished she could help, however, she was unable to enter the burning village because of the heat and smoke. Vexed at being so helpless, Kera put down all the things she had bought, then cast a Bomb Di Wind that blew away most of the fire. Unfortunately, it also blew away most of the roofs of the village huts, but that couldn't be helped.

She dashed immediately to her house. However, she arrived too late to save her parents. They were only two among the many casualties of the village but to her, they were everything. Wiping away her tears, Kera buried them in a clear spot near the back of their house.

* End of Flashback *

From the headman of the village, Kera had discovered that the sorceress who had caused this disaster was known as Lina Inverse, the Bandit Killer. From what the headman said, Lina was quite a well-known and powerful sorceress. The pair had been eating their dinner when a couple of Mazoku appeared in the village square. Lina and the swordsman attacked them for interrupting their meal. The swordsman managed to destroy one using the legendary Sword of Light while Lina recklessly killed the other using a Dragon Slave. That was what caused the fire in the village. Naturally, the couple got away as fast as they possibly could.

Kera clenched her gloved fists. If only she had arrived sooner to put out the fire or stop Lina. She thought of the love that her parents had lavished on her when she was a child; how they never blamed her for learning black magic when she was not accepted by the white-magic priests. The first time she cast Dragon Slave… she destroyed more than one quarter of the village. Over forty people died because of her little 'experiment'. But then, she was only six years old and had not known the consequences. Henceforth, the village council banned her from using any magic. She still cheated from time to time when it was more convenient to use spells and her parents never told on her. Nevertheless, out of respect and love for her parents, she never cast any major spells… until today when she cast Bomb Di Wind, and that was only because she was desperate.

Now her parents were dead, all because of the reckless act of a callous sorceress. Tears welled up in her jade-green eyes. Kera brushed them away irritably. She was determined to see justice done for the sake of her parents. Not only that, she now had no home. Fortunately, she had hidden a secret stash of money that she kept for emergencies. This was certainly an emergency. She could always figure out a way to earn more money later. Meanwhile, she continued walking in the direction of Zoana… until…

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter One ~ ~ ~

Did you like it? Don't forget to review, ok? Also, stay tuned for the next chapter! (Bleah… I sound like some TV announcer.) Anyway…I do not own the characters of Slayers (although I wish I didJ ). I only own Kera Yurion. :p 


	2. Slayers Extra Chapter 2

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Chapter Two: Zelgadiss, a New Companion

A tall, cloaked Mazoku appeared in front of her, its eyes glowing bright yellow. Its eyes and hideously wide mouth were all that showed beneath its black cloak. Kera jumped a few steps back, drawing her sword. Being a sorceress of black magic, she didn't have an easy way of destroying Mazoku. In fact, most of the black magic spells derived their power from Mazoku. After seeing what damage a full-blown Dragon Slave could do, she also hesitated from using such a powerful spell. That moment of hesitation almost cost her a life.

Grinning evilly, the Mazoku attacked, using its extremely long claws to slash her. Using her sword, Kera managed to deflect the majority of its strikes. In spite of that, she received a number of minor wounds that started to hurt almost immediately. If she finished off this battle quickly, she would be able to heal herself easily but her problem was that she could not destroy this Mazoku without causing immense damage to the landscape. Also, the longer the battle lasted, the worse her injuries would become. The Mazoku sensed her dilemma and attacked more furiously, knowing that she was weakening. A particularly vicious blow knocked her to her ground. Suddenly, an invisible barrier appeared in front of her. She thought, Air Valm! But who was the one casting it?

The hooded spell caster stepped out of the trees. He was dressed in a pale beige from head to toe and sunlight glinted off some violet hair. Surprised, the Mazoku turned towards him, preparing to attack. The young man did not let the demon have a chance to do so. Placing his hands together in front of him with palms facing outwards, he chanted aloud, "_Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite. Everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden in my soul be called forth from the Infinite...RA-TILT!_"

A blue-white blast of energy emitted from his hands shrouded the Mazoku. When the dust cleared, there was nothing left. Dusting his hands with satisfaction, the hooded man walked towards Kera, who was healing herself. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice muffled by his mask.

"I think so," said Kera, slowly standing up. She dusted herself and smiled at the man. "Thanks for rescuing me."

"Don't mention it. If I'm not wrong, your specialty is black magic, right?" he continued.

"Yes. But I'm afraid that I am not very good at it," lied Kera. "The spell you used was 'Ra-Tilt' wasn't it? That's neither a black magic or white magic spell."

"Yes. It's actually a spell derived from the astral plane. It's quite effective against Mazoku."

"I noticed," said Kera, smiling. "My name's Kera Yurion. What's yours?"

"Zelgadiss Greywords," he said, removing his mask and hood.

Kera stared at his stony face and metallic hair. "You're… not human?" she asked pensively.

"About a third, actually," said Zelgadiss, smiling gently. "I used to be fully human, but I was changed by the spell of an evil priest."

"So your life was destroyed, like mine," said Kera sadly, in an undertone.

Since he was obviously not meant to hear that, Zelgadiss courteously pretended that he had not heard and changed the subject instead. "So, where are you headed?"

"Zoana. What about you?"

"The same," replied Zelgadiss.

"Perhaps we could travel together then," offered Kera.

"I don't see why not," agreed Zelgadiss.

So, with a new travelling companion, Kera continued her journey to Zoana.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Zelgadiss found that travelling with Kera was very different from travelling with Lina, Gourry and Amelia. For one thing, the young sorceress was more serious and less emotionally immature than either Lina or Amelia. She was probably about Lina's age or slightly younger but she seemed older because of her maturity and the way she carried herself. Also, unlike Lina, she didn't seem to mind being rescued from monsters or bandits along the way, since she claimed that she was not very skilled in magic. However, her skill with a sword was quite good, so she was able to handle herself in a physical fight. The greatest difference was that she did not eat as much as Lina. In fact, she hardly ate anything at all. It seemed that her definition of a satisfying meal was a bowl of soup. Initially, Zel thought that it was because she did not have much appetite after going through an emotionally scarring ordeal. However, as the days passed, Kera seemed to be recovering from her trauma but she still ate as little as ever. Finally, one day, while they were having lunch at an inn, Zelgadiss asked her about it.

"What's wrong with my appetite?" Kera asked, open-eyed. "I'm eating as much as usual."

Zel stared at the bowlful of rice and slice of meat on her plate and sweatdropped. And the others thought I ate very little, he thought, sighing. His meal seemed like a mountain compared to what Kera was eating. It was amazing that with so little nourishment, Kera was still able to walk for miles without having to rest. Zelgadiss shook his head. The girl was a puzzle.

When she asked why he was going to Zoana, he told her that he had to fulfil a contract with the king. In exchange for getting the rumoured Clair Bible and hopefully, his cure too, Zel would act as the king's bodyguard. Zelgadiss just assumed that Kera was going to Zoana to look for a relative or something, so he did not ask, not wanting to cause her any more unhappy memories.

Kera wondered why he had not asked her about it. Maybe he felt that it was a personal question and did not want to intrude. Or maybe, he did not care. She felt that it was the latter and was depressed for the rest of the day. Zelgadiss noticed her depression and tried to cheer her up by telling her jokes about his past adventures. Fortunately, he did not mention any of the names of his companions. Even though Zelgadiss was not very good at telling jokes, Kera still smiled politely at his inept attempts. In return, she even told him some of the funny incidents that had happened to her in the past and was rewarded by his laughter. She refused to believe it at first, but Kera realised that she was slowly falling in love with her travelling companion.

No, it could not be, she told herself. Perhaps it was because Zelgadiss was the first human man (…well, almost) that she had been travelling with for such a long time. Maybe it was because he was always so kind and considerate towards her, always willingly protected her from monsters and was always the perfect gentleman. She knew for a fact that Zelgadiss usually took the longer watch when they had to spend nights in the forest. It helped that he was extraordinarily handsome too. Kera couldn't help wondering if someone had already had stolen his heart. She suddenly thought of Xelloss and shook her head, smiling. That Mazoku! If he were here now, he would surely tease her unmercifully.

"A gold coin for your thoughts," said Zelgadiss, who noticed her smiling.

The two were sitting around a campfire, after having their dinner of roasted fish.

"Wha-what?" Kera looked up at him and blushed, saying, "My thoughts aren't worth that much, Zelgadiss."

"Why not? Anyway, I just wanted to know what you were thinking," said Zelgadiss. "You looked so amused."

"That… that is my secret," said Kera, still smiling.

"Fine then," said Zel. "I shouldn't have asked."

"Well, I was actually thinking about a Ma… person that I met before I met you," said Kera. "He liked to say that whenever I asked him a question."

"Oh really? He must be rather irritating," said Zelgadiss thoughtfully.

"Yes, he teased me non-stop," said Kera, shaking her head. "But he was rather fun, though. I wonder where he went."

"Well, since you like him so much, maybe you'll meet him again some time," said Zelgadiss, smiling.

"What? I certainly hope not!" Kera exclaimed. "He's such a supercilious jerk. I get this feeling that he knows everything and is not telling anyone about it."

"You're contradicting yourself," remarked Zel. "I guess you must really like him."

"Zelgadiss! How dare— " Kera's face was completely red.

"Now you're starting to sound like one of my former travelling companions," said Zel, smirking. "I hope you don't become as violent as she is."

Kera's hands flew to her burning cheeks. Well, at least he doesn't suspect that I'm in love with _him_, she thought, sighing. Zelgadiss looked at the sky and said, "It's getting late. I'll take the first watch. You sleep first, ok?"

"Sure, but don't tire yourself out," said Kera as she lay down near the fire.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Two ~ ~ ~

This chapter's a little short, but bear with me, ok? Chapter Three is coming up soon… I think. Don't forget to review! ^_^


	3. Slayers Extra Chapter 3

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Chapter Three: Mazoku Attack! What, the Dragon Slave?!

Kera was asleep in a few minutes. Zelgadiss looked at her sleeping form, smiling. She was still very much a child in her own way. A child who had been forced to mature very quickly. He wondered how her life had been like. She hadn't told him very much about her parents. Evidently, they had died very recently. Kera was probably travelling because of that reason.

Her magic skills had improved considerably after she met him; and she had learnt several new spells, including the Ra-Tilt, which he had seen her use against a Mazoku. When he asked her about it, she blushed and said that she had learnt it from watching him cast it the first time. At the rate which she learnt spells, Zelgadiss guessed that she could surpass Lina in less than half a year. However, she never used large-scale destructive spells such as Fireball and Dragon Slave, another factor that made her different from the destructive Lina. When in a fight, Kera preferred to use her sword instead of her magic. Maybe she was afraid of causing too much damage.

Also, she never seemed to run out of money. Zel wondered where the young girl got her hands on so much money. Surely it couldn't be from attacking robbers, like Lina. He tried to picture her in Lina's clothes, attacking bandits ferociously, but the image only made him want to laugh. It simply did not fit Kera's personality.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A tree branch creaking interrupted his reverie. Zelgadiss stood up and drew his sword in one fluid motion. He glanced quickly around the clearing. A shadowy figure stood just beyond the trees. Squinting, Zel could make out glowing, red eyes and long, thin arms. Another Mazoku? This would be the third one this fortnight, at least during his watch. The Mazoku normally minded their own business. What made them want to attack him? Was it because of Kera? That seemed very possible. After all, the first time he met her, a Mazoku was attacking her. But why? What interest did the Mazoku have for a young sorceress like Kera? He didn't think that Kera would know either.

Or was she keeping some secret knowledge from him?

Well, the Mazoku was going to attack anyway. Zelgadiss sheathed his sword and casted Ra-Tilt. Unfortunately, the monster refused to be destroyed so easily. It teleported out of the way and flew towards Zelgadiss with lightning speed. At times like this, Zel wished he had Gourry's Sword of Light. After dodging the Mazoku's first attack, he drew his sword again and cast Astral Vine on it. As the Mazoku flew at him a second time, Zelgadiss sidestepped easily and sliced through the monster with his magically enchanted blade, cutting it in half. The halves exploded in a burst of light that woke Kera. "What happened? What was that bright light?" she asked, gazing around the clearing.

"A Mazoku attacked," replied Zelgadiss, sheathing his sword. "I destroyed it."

"Another Mazoku? That would be the seventh one already," remarked Kera. "I wonder why they are attacking us."

"The eighth, actually," corrected Zelgadiss. "There was one that came while you were asleep."

"Oh. I can't imagine how it would be if you weren't here to protect me," said Kera, blushing a little. "Thank you, Zelgadiss. Sorry for troubling you like this."

"Er… you're welcome," said Zel, also blushing. "It's no trouble, really. I'm just glad that I am able to help you."

There was a short silence.

"Well, I can't sleep now," said Kera. "Why don't you rest first? I'll call you when I get tired."

"Ok," agreed Zelgadiss, settling down.

Kera buckled on her sword and looked at the starry sky. When her eyes started to close, she walked around the clearing to keep herself awake. It was nearly dawn when she woke Zelgadiss. After she did so, she collapsed and was snoring before she knew it. Zelgadiss shook his head, smiling. The girl overestimated herself again. Meanwhile, he could prepare breakfast for both of them while she slept. Incidentally, there was a flock of wild pigeons flying across the clearing. Zelgadiss grinned.

Yawning, Kera woke to the appetizing smell of roasted pigeon. In fact, she was so hungry that she actually ate half of one pigeon. Zelgadiss was very surprised by this fact. After clearing up, they continued the last lap of their journey.

After a few hours, they arrived at the gates of Zoana. Neither wanted to part just yet so Kera went into the palace with Zelgadiss. The guards allowed them into the throne room where the king and a green-haired girl, presumably the princess, was. The king's throne was located beneath a very ugly mask, thought Kera with distaste. However, the princess Martina seemed to admire it very much.

The skimpily dressed princess also showed an obvious interest in Zelgadiss but he ignored her, to Kera's relief. Zelgadiss introduced himself as a travelling mage and Kera as a fellow sorceress. The king was delighted to get two for the price of one, so to speak, and welcomed them both. However, Martina was of a slightly different opinion. Since she had developed a crush for Zelgadiss once he stepped into the throne room, she regarded Kera as a potential rival and treated her that way. Nevertheless, Kera did not mind and humoured her since she was the princess.

Zelgadiss and Kera were shown to their rooms while the king awaited the arrival of the princess of Seyruun. In her lavishly furnished room, Kera felt very uncomfortable and she stood at the window instead, watching the townspeople go by. Suddenly, she caught sight of two very familiar figures. A red-haired girl in sorceress garb and a tall, blond swordsman. _Lina Inverse_! So Xelloss had been correct. She continued watching them alertly until they were out of her line of sight. Then, she levitated to the roof and continued to watch them.

Lina blasted a hole through the castle wall and the two entered one of the towers. They're probably looking for the rumoured Clair Bible, thought Kera. Well, good luck to them, she thought, smirking. They were very unlikely to find it here. Meanwhile, Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun had entered the throne room. Both Kera and Zelgadiss were summoned by the king to stand by for orders. Kera stood in a shadowy corner, beside Zel. It seemed that Amelia used to be one of Zelgadiss' travelling companions and quite a close one too. The princess was quite shocked when Zel appeared in front of her and drew his sword. In fact, she was so appalled that she did not even notice that the guards were tying her up.

Kera rolled her eyes, sighing. She quietly returned to her room while the king and Martina went to a tower to gloat over Amelia's capture. However, their victory was short-lived as Lina soon blasted through the tower they were in, saying that they were here to save Amelia. Hearing the commotion, Kera flew to the roof once again. She was stunned to discover that Zelgadiss used to be Lina's travelling companion. No! Why did everyone she met have to be associated with Lina Inverse?

"Lina, omae o korosu," said Zelgadiss, sounding very serious about it.

Kera had mixed feelings. On one hand, she wished that she could continue travelling with Zelgadiss and she hoped that Lina would be injured seriously, or maybe even killed. On the other hand, she wanted to punish Lina herself and wondered if Zelgadiss would turn against her in the future like he was now turning against Lina. Clenching her fists in confusion, she waited helplessly to see the conclusion of their confrontation.

Zelgadiss revealed that he intended to find a cure for his chimera curse in the Clair Bible and Lina told him that the rumoured book was not the Clair Bible but a manual for some sort of mechanical golem and was no use to him at all. Zel gave an irritated glance at his employer, then pointed his sword at the king's throat instead. "Your evil ways are now at an end!" he exclaimed, sounding amazingly like Amelia.

Meanwhile, Martina had slipped off and was busy trying to operate the mechanical golem. Kera noticed her but did not pay much attention since it looked as if Zelgadiss was going to rejoin Lina's group. She was not close enough to hear what they were saying but it was obvious that they had all forgiven Zelgadiss for being a mercenary and turning against them. Kera sighed sadly and started to leave when the ground shook and Martina's huge golem appeared. "What the heck is that?" Kera wondered aloud, while casting Levitation again.

Lina and the others were just as amazed to see the giant golem and were even more astounded when a thin energy blast destroyed a large portion of the landscape. However, when Martina aimed at them for the second shot, the machinery went haywire and collapsed on top of both Martina and her father. The half-buried Martina begged Lina to save her and to everyone's surprise, she agrees.

Unfortunately, her rescue method involved casting the Dragon Slave. Amelia, Gourry and Zelgadiss quickly sounded alarms in the city, warning the people about the disaster that was about to occur. Meanwhile, Kera was trembling with fear and anger as she levitated to a safe distance to watch. Was the Dragon Slave Lina's solution to every problem? What kind of sorceress would be so destructive? Did Lina even _care_ about the amount of damage she caused? With great power came great responsibility. Didn't she understand this fact?

While Kera was contemplating the irresponsibility of her foe, Lina was standing on the remains of a tower and chanting, _"Darkness from twilight, crimson from_ _blood that flows; buried in the flow of time; in Thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness! Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"_

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Three ~ ~

Well, so far, because I've been following the story quite closely, Kera has only the role of an observer. But don't worry, she'll soon be promoted to a main character soon. Heh… otherwise, I will be in trouble. Kera seems to have no problem with using the Dragon Slave in writerspace, since there're no large buildings to destroy, here. *sweatdrop* 


	4. Slayers Extra Chapter 4

**__**

Chapter Four: The Aftermath. Who's Kera?

There was a colossal explosion and Kera had to shield herself by casting Raywing. When the dust cleared, the damage was absolute. Her eyes wide with horror, Kera surveyed the landscape. There were no buildings of any height still standing for a radius of about a mile. The palace and city were almost completely destroyed. A large sweatdrop forming on her head, Kera sighed, shaking her head in vexation. Lina and the others were nowhere in sight. A figure moved in the rubble. It was MartinaZoana Mel Navratilova.

__The exhausted, wretched-looking, green-haired princess was dragging herself out of the debris. Kera flew down to land her a hand since it seemed that they had a common enemy. After Martina was finally out of the rubble, she dusted herself off and promptly vowed vengeance on Lina Inverse for wrecking her home and city. Once she had done this, she was about to thank Kera when it seemed that she saw who her rescuer was for the first time. "You! Where were you when that witch destroyed the place? You and Zelgadiss were supposed to help us fight them!" Martina screeched.

Looking contrite, Kera smiled and said, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't do anything about it. That spell was too powerful."

"Hmmph! I'll bet you just didn't want to," muttered the princess. "Seeing how that Zelgadiss betrayed us, you're probably just as untrustworthy too."

Kera kept silent and did not point out the fact that it was Martina's father who had first lied to Zelgadiss. "So," continued Martina, looking intently at Kera. "What are you really after? Why didn't you leave with Lina and the others?"

"Lina Inverse is also my enemy," explained Kera. "She destroyed a large portion of the village I was living in with another Dragon Slave spell and… and…" Kera hesitated, then said softly, "She also killed both my parents."

Martina's face softened, seeing that Kera was really telling the truth. She placed a sympathetic hand on Kera's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said, looking apologetic. "I shouldn't have asked."

Brushing away tears, Kera smiled at Martina and said, "It's all right. I've gotten over their deaths already. Sort of… Anyway, what do you plan to do now?"

"Well, I was sort of thinking that I will go after Lina to make her pay for what she's done to my father's kingdom. In the great name of Zoamel Gustav, I _will_ punish her for her evil doings," said Martina, striking an Amelia-type pose.

A gust of cold wind suddenly came and she shivered, dropping the pose. Kera nodded and said, "We'll better get you a cloak or you'll catch cold, dressed as you are."

As they walked off, Martina said, "What's wrong with my clothes? I like this costume! Don't you think it looks very nice? … When it's all nice and clean, that is."

"Never mind," sighed Kera, sweatdropping. She rolled her eyes as she thought, what have I gotten myself into? I wonder where Zel and the others are now.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

During this time, Zelgadiss was wondering the same thing while Lina, Amelia and Gourry gorged themselves. "When are we going to leave? This is exactly why I prefer to travel alone," he muttered. "You guys waste too much time eating. If I was with Kera instead, we would have been gone hours ago," he said, thinking aloud.

Amelia paused between mouthfuls to ask, "Who's Kera?"

"A girl of about Lina's age who I met on the way to Zoana," replied Zel. "I travelled with her for quite some time. She's quite skilled with both swordplay and magic. And she eats an incredibly little amount of food."

"She must be as skinny as a stick, then," laughed Lina.

"No, she isn't," disagreed Zelgadiss, annoyed. "She's only a little thinner than you are, Lina. And much, much more mature."

"She must be a really terrific girl, if you have nothing but praises for her," said Lina, her eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me…"

"Lina-san!" Amelia burst out.

"What?" Lina said, looking at the younger girl strangely. Gourry and Zelgadiss also stared.

"Er… nothing," murmured Amelia, blushing.

"Then don't interrupt me when I'm talking!" Lina exclaimed. "Where was I? Oh yeah, we were on the topic of that girl, Kira or whatever her name is."

"It's Kera," corrected Zelgadiss.

"Yeah, whatever. Why did she want to go to Zoana anyway?"

"How should I know?"

"Hey, you were the one who travelled with her, Zel. You mean you didn't even ask her?" Lina asked incredulously.

"Well… I think that when I met her, she had recently gone through some sort of trauma, so I didn't want to make her feel worse," said Zelgadiss, blushing a little with embarrassment. "She was being attacked by a Mazoku when I rescued her. That's enough to traumatize anyone."

"Woo hoo," taunted Lina. "The knight in shining armour, eh? So did she offer to repay you or something?"

"She _did_ thank me, but she learnt more from me than I did about her," said Zel. "Would you believe that she actually learnt the Ra-Tilt after watching me cast it the first time?"

"No way!!" Lina yelled, standing up. Everyone in the inn stared at her. "That's not possible!"

"Possible or not, it happened," said Zel stubbornly. "I saw her cast it."

"Maybe she learnt it before she met you?" Amelia suggested.

"No," said Zel, shaking his head. "She's an amateur black magic sorceress. That was why I had to rescue her from the Mazoku."

"Oh. So she doesn't know Dragon Slave yet?" Lina asked, sitting down again.

"I'm not sure," admitted Zelgadiss. "She's a nice girl and doesn't like to cast spells that cause a lot of damage, unlike someone we know…"

"Hey! Just what are you implying?" Lina retorted. "What is it, Gourry?!"

"Er, I don't understand something," interrupted Gourry, scratching his head. "How come Kera can't learn the Ra- whatever spell if she's a black magic sorceress?"

"The Ra-Tilt is a spirit magic spell. It can only be easily learnt by those specialising in spirit magic or white magic. For a person who practices black magic, it is extremely difficult," explained Lina. "Believe me, I've tried. Learning the Elmekia Lance alone took me two whole months."

"Oh. So does that mean Kera is better than Lina in magic?" Gourry wondered aloud.

Lina's fist crashed onto the top his skull. "How dare you say that?" Lina shouted. "We haven't even met her yet!"

Sweatdropping, Zelgadiss and Amelia looked on while Gourry got severely beaten by Lina for that remark. Finally, Amelia dragged Lina away while Zelgadiss pulled Gourry out of reach. "What did I say?" asked a dazed Gourry.

"Something you shouldn't have," said Zelgadiss as he sighed.

After Lina had cooled down and Gourry had recovered, they went back to eating.

Zelgadiss sighed and continued to watch them eat.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the meantime, Martina and Kera were walking through the same town that Lina and the others were. "I'm hungry," complained Martina, who was wrapped in a dark brown cloak.

"Be patient," said Kera. "We'll have find an inn to stay for the night, then we can eat."

"You're so nice to me," said Martina, looking at Kera with tears brimming in her eyes. "How can I ever repay you?"

"Don't be too happy just yet," warned Kera. She jingled her purse and continued, "I'm running out of money soon. We'll also have to find work to earn more money."

"Me, a princess? Work?!" Martina exclaimed, outraged. "I've never worked in my whole life!"

"Well, it looks like you'll have to learn soon," said Kera. "I'm certainly not going to slog the whole day just to earn money for you to spend recklessly."

"Fine, fine," grumbled Martina. "But since you have money now, you're going to pay for me, right, Kera-san?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" sighed Kera.

They entered an inn that was coincidentally next to the inn where Lina and the others were staying. The two girls found an empty table and sat down. After a waiter took their orders, Martina asked Kera what she was going to do now. The blue-clad sorceress thought for a while, then said, "Lina's looking for the Clair Bibles, right? So… if we follow the rumours about Clair Bibles, we'll be sure to find her there too," she said. "Anyway, I'm quite interested in the Clair Bibles myself."

"Why? What's so interesting about them?" Martina asked.

"The Clair Bibles contain a whole lot of information about the world we live in," explained Kera. "As far as I understand, they were originally the Water Dragon Lord's knowledge about the world. But they continued to exist after his defeat."

"Oh. I see," said Martina, even though it was clear that she did not quite understand. Kera sighed and explained further. "The legend says that they can reveal any knowledge possessed by the Gods. Wouldn't you want to know stuff that a god would know?"

Martina's eyes widened and she nodded excitedly. "How come you know so much about it?" she asked suspiciously.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Four ~ ~ ~

Phew…that's a tough question to answer. If you're wondering where I get all this information from, it's from [http://www.inverse.org/e/][1] It's a great site that has got all sorts of stuff on the characters, anime synopses and magic spells from Slayers.  However, the part about spirit magic and how black magic mages are not able to learn spirit magic spells so easily is just pure guessing on my part, so if I'm wrong, I'm very sorry. ^_^"

   [1]: http://www.inverse.org/e/



	5. Slayers Extra Chapter 5

****

Chapter Five: It's Xelloss Again!

Kera was about to answer her when a familiar purple-haired person in priest's clothes abruptly entered the tavern and seated himself down at their table. "Hey! Can't you see that this table is occupied?" Martina exclaimed indignantly, banging her fist on the wooden table.

"What are you doing here, Xelloss?" Kera asked sharply.

"Why, I thought you'll be happy to see me, Kera-chan," said Xelloss, wearing his usual smile. "You've been alone for such a long time… poor thing."

"Very funny, but I'm not amused," said Kera, giving him a steely glare.

"You two know each other?" Martina asked in surprise.

"Of course we do," answered Xelloss. "I've known her for much longer than you have, Princess Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova."

"Huh? How did you know my name?" Martina asked.

Kera glanced at Xelloss, then rolled her eyes. Ignoring her, Xelloss wagged his finger and winked at Martina, saying, "That's my secret."

Leaving Martina to digest this information, Xelloss turned to Kera and said, "I told you that I would find you, didn't I? Anyway, have you found out anything about Lina Inverse?"

"Nothing much… She just destroyed most of Zoana with another Dragon Slave after discovering that the Clair Bible was not _the_ Clair Bible," said Kera. "And… you were right that she met with her two companions."

"Ah…" said Xelloss, smiling. "So do you believe me now?"

"More or less," said Kera. "But, you still can't be trusted completely."

"That's too bad," sighed Xelloss. "I was about to tell you where another Clair Bible is rumoured to be. Since you won't trust my information, well… I guess I should leave, then."

"Hey! Wait," said Kera, grabbing his arm as he turned to leave. "I didn't say that I mistrusted you completely, did I?"

Xelloss looked at her, then glanced at her hand on his arm. Kera quickly let go of his arm, blushing. Martina looked at the both of them and grinned. Xelloss sat down again. "So it's this way, huh? You won't trust me but you still want my information," he said. "All right then, take it as a favour I'm doing to you, Kera-chan. The manuscripts of the Clair Bible are with the leader of a certain group of bandits…"

The trickster priest told them the exact location of the gang of bandits who had the manuscripts. He even went as far as to sketch a map for them. Kera grew suspicious and she said, "You're being very, very helpful. Is there a reason why you want us to go there so badly?"

"A reason?" Xelloss looked confused. "No. I just happen to like your company, that's all."

"Don't you give me that answer again," demanded Kera. "Tell me exactly why you want us to look for the manuscripts."

Xelloss put his face very close to Kera's, then murmured, "Now that… is a secret. Have a good night, Kera-chan."

"Ha!" Kera scoffed as he walked out of the inn. "Since you won't tell, we won't go. It's as simple as that."

"But… Kera-san," said Martina. "I thought you wanted to look for the Clair Bible?"

"Not any more," said Kera decisively. "There are other parts of the Clair Bible out there. It won't matter if I miss out a little bit of information."

"If you say so," said Martina doubtfully. She looked at Kera's half-full plate and asked, "Aren't you going to eat any more?"

"No, I'm full. You can have the rest of my food, if you want," said Kera, pushing her plate to Martina. "I'm going to the room now. Come up when you're done. And don't order any more food even if you're still hungry, ok? We're on a tight budget here."

"Sure, sure," replied Martina.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A little while later, it was lights out for most parts of the town. However, in Kera and Martina's room, the princess was still not asleep yet. Martina tossed and turned on the bed while Kera was curled up on the floor. "Kera-san," whispered Martina. "Are you asleep yet?"

"Not now, I'm not," replied Kera. "What is it?"

"Are you comfortable on the floor?"

"What do you think? But it doesn't matter much to me. I'm used to it," said Kera. "I can't possibly let a high-born princess like you sleep on the floor, could I?"

"I think there's enough space here on the bed for the both of us," said Martina.

"It's fine, Martina. Go to sleep."

~ ~ ~

A few moments later, Martina whispered again, "Kera-san, are you asleep yet?"

"How can I possibly sleep when you keep asking me if I'm asleep?" Kera said, sounding rather irritated with Martina.

"I'm very sorry, Kera-san," said Martina apologetically. "But I need to ask you a very important question. It's very urgent."

"What is it?!"

"Well… it's about Xelloss-san," said Martina, blushing.

"What about him?" Kera asked.

"Um… are you and him together? I mean… as in a couple?"

"What?! No way! I can't stand the sight of him," said Kera.

"But he seems to like you," remarked Martina.

"Nah," disagreed Kera. "He just loves to annoy me… that's all. I wonder what his true motive is…"

"In that case, can I have him?" Martina asked. "I mean- since you're not interested in him… well, I wouldn't mind having a boyfriend like him."

"Huh?! Martina…but he's a… oh, never mind," said Kera, sweatdropping.

"Don't you find him kinda cute?" Martina said, sighing.

"Er… yeah, sort of. Ok, that's enough. I'm not about to spend the whole night discussing him with you, Martina," said Kera. "Good night."

"Good night, Kera-san."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Even though Kera thought that Martina was asking a silly question, it nevertheless set her thinking. Could Xelloss be genuinely interested in her? If so, why? Also, other Mazoku had been after her ever since she started this journey. Why? Was there some secret about her that she herself did not know about? With a troubled mind, Kera was now the one who was unable to sleep. Getting up, she decided to take a stroll around the town. She opened the window and jumped out, using Levitation to slow her fall. However, instead of having a quiet walk, loud explosions were heard nearby. Evidently, another sorceress had insomnia. And looking at the extent of damage done, Kera had a good idea who it could be. _Lina Inverse!_

Not her again… Kera ran swiftly towards the direction where the explosions seemed to come from. Lina was interrogating a hapless peasant who obviously did not know anything about the Clair Bibles. Kera clenched her fists but forced herself to remain hidden. It was not time for a confrontation just yet. "Lina!" came a familiar voice. It was Zelgadiss, Gourry and Amelia who were running towards the redheaded sorceress.

In addition, Kera spotted a very familiar figure standing on a burning, wooden post. What was Xelloss doing here? She crept closer to find out. "Ah! The famous Lina Inverse!" Xelloss said, jumping down to land in front of the surprised Lina.

"I've followed you for a long time, Lina-san," said Xelloss, his hair covering his eyes. "It looks like I haven't been barking up the wrong tree. Indeed, you are as powerful as they come."

"Who are you?" Lina asked with deep suspicion.

"Don't worry, I'm not a dangerous person. My name is Xelloss and I'm a priest," he said, smiling at them. "I have also been searching for the Clair Bibles for a very long time."

Xelloss glanced around them and spotted Kera. With a twinkle in his eye, he said, "Why don't we go somewhere more convenient to discuss this further?"

"All right," agreed Lina.

The five of them promptly walked out of the town. Kera was about to follow when she heard a faint voice calling, "Kera-san! Where are you?!"

Martina! Kera had almost forgotten about her. "I'm here, Martina!" Kera shouted, waving.

"Kera-san!" Martina cried out as she picked her way among the fallen buildings towards Kera. "Why did you leave like that? When I heard the explosions, I thought that something had happened to you. How am I going to survive without you?" Martina berated her.

"I'm sorry, Martina," said Kera, her thoughts still on Xelloss' sudden appearance. What was that Mazoku planning to do? Was he going to tell Lina about the bandits who had the Clair Bible manuscripts because Kera refused to go? It didn't matter. She did not want to be used by him for his plan, whatever it was. Meanwhile… "Say, Martina, do you think we should we help to clean up this place?" Kera asked.

Martina looked at her strangely. "Whatever for?"

Kera starting casting Aqua Create to douse the fires. "Maybe the townspeople will offer us a reward for helping them," she said. "Then we won't have to work to earn money just yet."

"But… this mess? How are you going to rebuild all the buildings?" Martina asked. "It's not very possible for two girls like us to-"

Kera sighed. "You're right. If only I knew more white magic spells."

"So you're still not going after the Clair Bible manuscript?" Martina asked.

"No. Anyway, Xelloss seems to have found some people who may be more willing to carry out errands for him," said Kera dryly.

"Huh? When?" Martina asked, looking confused.

"Never mind about that now. I'll explain it to you later," said Kera as she continued dousing the fires. "Ok… I'm done. Let's go."

"Wait!" A deep voice cried out.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Five ~ ~ ~  Wonder who that could be? *evil grin* Sore wa himitsu desu. Well, until the next Chapter. Ja ne!


	6. Slayers Extra Chapter 6

****

Chapter Six: Acting Skills

Kera and Martina turned around to see a large man running towards them. "Oh, so my efforts haven't been wasted after all," murmured Kera, smiling. "Are you going to give us a reward for helping to douse the fires?"

The man looked confused. "No, I just wanted to ask you two if you have any urgent business to attend to."

The two girls exchanged glances then shook their heads. "That's great!" said the man. "My name is Andor and I'm the director for a troupe of travelling actors. We travel around the country performing various plays for people. Would the both of you like to be actresses?"

"Huh?" Kera and Martina stared blankly at Andor. "B-but why are you asking us? We don't have any experience at all," said Kera.

"It doesn't matter," said Andor, smiling genially at them. "I just need to have someone who knows magic to join my troupe. A priest I met just now told me that the both of you are skilled in magic. Don't worry, the pay is good. If you manage to act well, the pay would be even better."

At the mention of money, the eyes of both girls lit up and they nodded quickly. No, they weren't as money-hungry as Lina but they _were_ looking for a job that paid well. "But I'm not a sorceress," said Martina. "Do you still want me to join your troupe?"

"Sure," said Andor generously. "I'll need all the help I can get. May I know your names?"

"My name is Kera and she's Martina," said Kera, gesturing towards Martina, who nodded. "We'll be glad to join your troupe."

"Ah, I'm so glad," said Andor. "I've been trying so very hard to get a sorceress to join. Thank you, Kera and Martina."

"Don't mention it," said Martina, grinning gleefully.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And so, Kera and Martina immediately joined Andor's troupe. The rest of the actors welcomed the two new, not to mention beautiful, additions. Being the only actresses in the group, Kera and Martina were treated like queens. Andor was also very glad of the fact that it cost very little to feed Kera. However, Martina was another matter altogether. The princess insisted on being treated like one and most of the cast was glad to comply. However, Andor was not pleased to see that the green-haired girl was costing more than she was worth. To get back at her, he made her act in most of their plays as a poor wretch who had to look for food in dustbins. For the experience, he told her to survive on her own for a week without any money to buy food. After the week was over, a dirty, but humbler Martina came crawling back to the troupe.

Meanwhile, Kera provided all the special effects needed for the production of the plays. She created all the dramatic flashes of light, the slight quaking of the ground, even the lightning during a make-believe storm. Of course, she was always careful not to hurt any of the actors whenever she cast her spells. A few times, she also acted when a character that could fly was required. Not long after Kera and Martina joined them, Andor's troupe became famous and they were invited to various countries to perform. The salaries of all the actors rose exponentially, especially Kera and Martina's.

Nonetheless, there came a rumour about another Clair Bible. To add to that, Martina overheard something about Lina and company being in a neighbouring town. To Andor's dismay, two of his most necessary performers immediately asked him for permission to resign. Nevertheless, he graciously let them leave with all the money that they had amassed over the few months. There was a tearful farewell as the troupe soon left for another town.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kera took charge of Martina's fortune since the princess was sure to squander every last gold coin. As usual, they booked a room in an inn and Martina bought several disguises for herself. Over the last few months, she had consulted one of the actors in the troupe and had learnt the secret of cursing a person. She was determined to make Lina suffer by cursing her with the curse of Zoamel Gustav. Personally, Kera had some doubts about this method but did not want to spoil Martina's mood so she did not mention them. In addition, Martina also hired a host of bandits so that Lina would not get away without a fight. Now, in order for the curse to work, Martina needed an item of Lina's. That was what the disguises were for, she told Kera. Now, all they had to do was to wait for Lina to arrive.

They didn't have a very long wait. Lina, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss came into town two days later. Martina dressed up in one of her disguises, complete with glasses and a mask, before going to meet them. At the same time, Kera waited at a nearby roof to aid Martina's escape. Everything was going as planned. However, the one thing that they did not expect to happen was Xelloss' appearance. "What are you doing here, Kera-chan?" Xelloss asked as he suddenly appeared beside her.

Surprised to say the least, Kera very nearly fell off the roof. She was about to cast Levitation when a strong hand grasped her arm and pulled her back onto the roof. "Can't have you falling from such a height now, can we? You might injure yourself," said the trickster priest.

He seemed to have forgotten that Kera knew magic, so Kera reminded him by casting a few flare arrows at him. "I can take care of myself, thank you," she said as he brushed the fire-arrows aside as if they were nothing.

"Of course I know that," said Xelloss, still smiling at her. "I just didn't want to let you waste your energy, that's all. And you still haven't answered my question."

"I'm waiting for Martina to get something from Lina, then help her to escape," replied Kera. It was no use hiding any information from Xelloss, since he would find out sooner or later.

"Why, thank you for the information," said Xelloss. "Maybe I can help you with that."

"How?" Kera asked skeptically.

"Wait and see…" was his cryptic answer. "This should be interesting…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As she had planned, Martina suddenly ran in front of Lina and asked if Lina wanted to exchange an item she owned with a special gold coin that Martina was offering. While Lina and the others were still confused, she grabbed one of the gems on Lina's costume and dashed off into a narrow alleyway. Gourry quickly followed, intending to get the person to return the gem to Lina. However, Lina didn't seem very concerned about the theft and an explosion soon explained why. The cunning sorceress had placed some kind of spell on those gems that caused them to self-destruct when someone stole them.

Meanwhile, Gourry and Martina were tangled in a heap. "Hey, are you all right?" Gourry asked, shaking Martina by the shoulder.

When Martina opened her eyes and saw that beautiful, flowing blond hair, half covering a finely chiseled face and those crystalline blue eyes, she promptly fell in love with Gourry. The green-haired princess sighed and blushed as she realised that he was still holding on to her shoulders. "Hey, Gourry, are you all right?" Lina asked as the other three walked into the alley.

"I'm fine but the girl… huh? When did she turn into a rabbit?" Gourry said when he discovered that the mysterious girl had disappeared, leaving a green-furred rabbit in her place.

"Well, since you're done playing, shall we go look for an inn?" Lina asked.

"Sure," agreed Gourry, still scratching his head in confusion.

For one moment, she had been staring into Gourry's handsome face and the next, she was on the roof of a building looking down into the alleyway. Turning around, the disorientated Martina saw Kera _and_ Xelloss. Now even more confused, Martina asked, "Wha-what just happened?"

"Xelloss teleported you here," answered Kera, who seemed unhappy for some reason.

Xelloss smiled at her and Kera scowled at him. Martina glanced at both of them, then remembered what she asked Kera a few months ago. Well, it didn't matter now, because she was in love with Gourry Gabriev. No! Gourry was her enemy's travelling companion! How could she fall in love with her enemy's friend? Wait… If Lina was no longer around, Gourry would be free to be with anyone and that meant he could be with her, Martina!

"Yes! That is the plan! That is what I shall do to win back my fiancé, Gourry!" Martina said, thinking aloud.

Kera and Xelloss sweatdropped as they watched Martina go through several strange poses. "What is she doing?" Xelloss asked Kera.

"I have no idea," replied Kera, shaking her head. She walked forward and tapped Martina on the shoulder. "Uh, sorry for interrupting you, but can we go back to the inn now, Martina?"

"Sure," said the princess happily as she held onto Kera's hand.

"**Levita-**" began Kera.

"Allow me," interrupted Xelloss.

He then teleported the two girls back to their room and vanished without a word. Blinking, Kera stared at the space where Xelloss just vacated. That Mazoku had her all confused. What was he intending to do? Was he being kind to her on purpose? Why did he help them so many times?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"KERA-SAN!" Martina shouted for the third time.

"Huh? Wha- what?" Kera said, shaking her head to clear all thoughts of Xelloss. "What is the matter, Martina?"

"Look there! Lina Inverse is coming to this inn!" Martina said excitedly, beckoning Kera to join her at the window.

Kera did so and saw the familiar group of four travellers entering the inn. "Oh. How convenient for you, Martina," she said. "Er… Martina?"

The green-haired princess was dancing around the room in ecstasy with stars twinkling in her eyes. Kera sighed and sweatdropped. Not again, she thought. The girl's a total nutcase. However, it would be amusing to see how her half-baked plan worked out. Maybe that was why she tolerated her for so long. Well, at least Martina had some sort of plan to make Lina suffer. What about herself? She claimed that she also wanted revenge on Lina but didn't know how to go about doing it. Face it, Kera, she told herself mentally. You're a failure just like Martina, only in a different way.

Kera took another glance at Martina, then looked away, sighing once more. She certainly did not want to end up like that. Nevertheless, Martina might come up with an idea that was not completely idiotic… if she stopped talking about Zoamel Gustav and stopped falling for almost every guy she met. When that happened (if it did happen) Kera would be able to use it to her advantage. In the mean time, it was time for dinner. Martina was about to step gleefully out the door when Kera pulled her back by her cape, saying, "If you go out like that, they may recognise you. Zelgadiss would certainly recognise me too."

"Oh! I forgot about that," said Martina. She went to her pack and immediately took out two dresses, wigs and glasses. "Here," she said, handing one set to Kera. "If we put these on, no one would recognise us, Kera-san."

"They certainly will if you keep calling me Kera-san," said the brunette sorceress as she reluctantly took the disguises from Martina. "And are the glasses really necessary?"

"Of course they are!" declared Martina. "In fact, they're the most important part!"

"All right, then," said Kera, sweatdropping.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Six ~ ~ ~

__

Now I'm starting to deviate from the original Next story line. Well, anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. And I didn't know that there was already a show called Slayers Extra. Honest!


	7. Slayers Extra Chapter 7

****

Chapter Seven: Lina's Curse

"I don't see how anyone would be stupid enough not to see that we're wearing disguises," grumbled Kera.

"That's the idea," said Martina, admiring her disguised self in the mirror. "They will know that we're wearing disguises but won't bother finding out how we really look like."

"Are you sure?" Kera asked doubtfully.

"Of course I'm sure, Kera-san," said Martina. "When have my ideas failed to work?"

Lots of times, said Kera mentally. Sigh… I'll better go along with her or I'll never hear the end of this. "Whatever you say, Martina."

"Kera-san…" said Martina, her eyes brimming with tears. "You're so nice to me!"

Here we go again, thought Kera, scratching the back of her wig. "Enough already, Martina-chan," she said. "Let's go and eat our dinner."

"Yes! Dinner!"

The two girls were dressed in matching outfits and wigs. Kera was in a dark blue dress while Martina was in a maroon dress. Both wore blonde wigs and big, round glasses. As Kera had expected, everyone stared when they entered the tavern. Fortunately, Lina and Gourry were busy eating so they did not notice the pair of strange looking girls. As they sat down at a table, Kera thought, Xelloss had better not appear now. This is so humiliating! Martina ordered for both of them, knowing Kera's propensity for food.

Zelgadiss stared at the two girls for a long time. Both of them vaguely resembled the girl they met this morning. There was almost something familiar in the features of the taller girl. It was as if… "Ouch!" he said, rubbing his head. "What was that for?"

"It's not polite to stare at others like that, Zelgadiss-san," scolded Amelia, holding the pot she had just hit his head with. "Especially girls."

"Mind your own business, Amelia," he said, turning away from her as he sipped his tea.

Amelia frowned angrily, then also looked at the girls to see what was so interesting about them. Apart from their poor taste in clothes, bad hair and huge spectacles, Amelia could not see anything particularly fascinating about them. Maybe Zelgadiss-san found them familiar? Nah… probably not, she thought as she continued eating.

Finally they finished their dinner. "Say, why don't we pay a visit to the hot springs?" Amelia suggested eagerly.

"That's a good idea, Amelia," said Lina. "Let's go right now!"

Gourry and Zelgadiss agreed so they all went off to the changing rooms. Martina and Kera overheard their conversation. "Chance!" Martina exclaimed. "When Lina goes to the hot springs, I shall go into the changing room and pick any of her belongings I want! Yes, that is a perfect plan!"

"That's what you said the last time," said Kera, sipping an iced drink.

"This time it's different! I will succeed," said Martina with conviction. "It would be downright impossible not to succeed."

"If you say so," muttered Kera.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

And so, a few moments later, Martina went walking down the hall to the changing rooms, dressed in her chambermaid disguise. Unfortunately, she met Gourry and was so distracted that she completely forgot about her mission until it was too late. When she finally entered the girls' changing room, there was nothing there. Lina and Amelia had already changed and returned to their room minutes before.

A very depressed and embarrassed Martina returned to the room she shared with Kera. "I thought you said it was not possible not to succeed? In fact, if I remember correctly, your exact words were 'downright impossible'," said Kera, smirking.

"Don't tease me any more, Kera-san," begged Martina as she cast her eyes down sadly. "I don't know why I keep failing."

"All right," said Kera, sighing. "I'll help you get the item you need, ok?"

"Really?" Martina said, her eyes filled with tears. "Kera-san, you are-"

"I know. I'm so nice to you," said Kera as Martina nodded in agreement. "Well, it's no use going right now, so we'll wait until they're asleep."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few hours later, Kera crept into Lina and Amelia's room. Everything was quiet so far. Kera looked around the room. Lina's clothes were scattered everywhere. Her headband was lying on the floor not far from where Kera was. Smiling, Kera was about to pick it up when Amelia abruptly sat up and pointed straight at Kera, saying, "Cease your evil action, villain!"

Startled, Kera froze until Amelia lay down again. She's only talking in her sleep, thought Kera as she picked up Lina's headband. As she was turning to leave, a hand caught her collar. "With such poor skills, how dare you call yourself a warrior?" Lina said, tossing a surprised Kera out of the window with a powerful flick of her wrist.

"**Raywing!**" Kera intoned quietly before she was halfway out of the window. Phew, she's dangerous even in her sleep, she thought, shaken by the experience. With Lina's headband held firmly in her hand, the brown-haired sorceress turned and flew back to her room.

On arriving at their room, Kera handed over the headband to an overjoyed Martina. As Kera watched, the green-haired princess took the headband in one hand and took out the cursed dagger in the other. With a grin of triumph, Martina pierced the headband with the dagger. Black smoke was emitted from the cursed dagger. "Lina Inverse, you are hereby cursed in the name of the great Zoamel Gustav," she said solemnly.

"So what happens now?" Kera asked, curious.

"Whenever Lina hits another person, the damage will be magically multiplied and transferred to herself," explained Martina. "Sooner or later, Lina will have to kill a person and when she does that, she will be killed! Ohohohoho!"

"What if Lina does not kill anyone or hurt anyone?" Kera asked, ignoring Martina's laughter.

"Why, that is impossible for Lina!" Martina said confidently. "She is such a violent person that she will surely suffer tomorrow! Especially since my mercenaries will be there to make her hurt herself! My revenge will be complete and my fiancé, Gourry Gabriev will finally be mine!"

"Since when was Gourry your fiancé?" Kera asked with raised eyebrows.

"I decided that today," said Martina dreamily. 

Kera facefaulted. Martina was too preoccupied to notice and continued, "Gourry and I will make this place into the kingdom of Zoamel Gustav. Don't you think it's a splendid idea, Kera-san? Kera-san! What are you lying on the floor? You must be exhausted! Let me help you into bed."

Martina half-carried Kera into her bed, then lay down on her own bed. "Have a good night, Kera-san," she murmured.

"Yeah. I'll need it," said Kera under her breath as she covered herself with the blanket.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Early the next morning, Martina gathered her mercenaries and gave them orders to attack Lina on cue. Meanwhile, it seemed that Lina had already discovered that she was cursed, with Xelloss' help. Kera had already gotten used to the priest's mysterious appearances and disappearances so she was not very surprised when he turned up in time for breakfast at the tavern. Now she had to prepare to teleport Martina and her mercenaries to a spot in the forest when Lina and her group decided to flee. Giving Xelloss a last puzzled glance, Kera flew off to the forest.

During this time, back at the tavern, Lina was wondering who the person who cursed her was. Martina's eerie laughter sounded and she appeared at the doorway in her chambermaid disguise. "Who are you?" Lina asked, embarrassed that she had forgotten Martina.

Martina facefaulted. "I'm Martina, you dolt!" she shouted angrily. "How dare you forget me!"

However, Lina still didn't know who she was until Zelgadiss reminded her. "She's the princess of Zoana, the city that you destroyed."

"Oh, _that_ Martina! Ah, the memories," said Lina. "Nice to meet you again, Martina. How have you been? Fine, I hope?"

"I'm definitely _not_ fine! I was the one who placed the curse on you, Lina Inverse! You shall pay the price for destroying my kingdom!" Martina declared. "Men, get her!"

Her group of mercenaries appeared and charged towards Lina. The redheaded sorceress screamed and jumped to the ceiling, leaving Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss to fight in her place. However, Martina ordered her men to spare only Gourry so the blonde swordsman stood dumbly, confused by the one-sided battle. Xelloss was hanging on to the rafters beside Lina. "At least go down there and help them, Xelloss," said Lina.

"Don't worry, Lina-san. I will cheer for you in the background," said Xelloss, leaping into the ceiling and vanishing once again.

"Come back here! Coward!" Lina demanded.

"Call me whatever you wish, it doesn't matter to me," replied an echo of Xelloss' voice.

"In that case, there's only one thing I can do," said Lina, jumping down to the ground beside Gourry. The skirmish halted temporarily. "And that is… RUN!"

"Hey, Lina! Wait for us!" Amelia yelled as she, Gourry and Zelgadiss chased after her.

Martina smirked at their quick exit. "You may run, but I'll catch up with you soon."

She gestured imperatively at one of her mercenaries and he let fly a flaming arrow. Kera saw the signal and started casting the spell that would teleport them to the prepared location. When Martina appeared beside her, the green-haired princess immediately climbed up a nearby tree to be more dramatic. Shrugging, Kera hid behind a large bush to watch. Lina and the others soon came on the scene. Martina's strident laughter soon sounded again and once again, she ordered her mercenaries to attack. As Zelgadiss started to fight, Lina asked Martina why she cursed her. Martina replied, "That's so that I can be with my fiancé, Gourry Gabriev."

"Fiancé? Since when did you become her fiancé, Gourry?" Lina demanded.

"I don't know…," said Gourry vaguely. "What's a fiancé? Is it edible?"

Lina, Amelia, Zelgadiss and Martina facefaulted. "Why did I even bother to ask?" Lina asked herself. "It must be Martina's idea, then."

Martina was completely dumbfounded. This handsome, skilled blonde swordsman that she had chosen to be her fiancé was nothing but a brainless idiot? How could it be? Lina had tricked her again! "But it doesn't matter," said Martina. "I will still get rid of Lina Inverse with the help of this cursed dagg- ouch! Oh no!"

In her agitation, Martina dropped the cursed dagger on her own boot. She stared at the black smoke being emitted in dismay. "It would seem that she has now cursed herself too," said Xelloss, appearing beside Zelgadiss.

"Hey, where did you come from?" Zelgadiss said as he drew back from the priest in shock.

Not Xelloss again! Kera thought. Why does he always show up at the worst times? She glanced at Martina and smacked her forehead. That stupid girl! Why did she get herself cursed too? It looked like it was going to be another bad day for them.

"Never mind," said Martina, smirking. "I'll just remove the curse and I'll be fine."

"Ha!" Lina exclaimed, walking menacingly towards Martina. "That would mean that you would have to remove the curse from me too! Once you do that, I'll make sure you'll never forget this incident."

Smiling evilly, Lina continued walking towards Martina, cracking her knuckles in preparation for battle. "Is that so?" said Martina. "Then I'll just have to remove the curse after I defeat you. Lina! Prepare to die!"

The two girls charged towards each other with angry fire in their eyes. What followed was the strangest battle ever seen. Both opponents hurt each other at the same time that they hurt themselves. The observers all sighed and sweatdropped. Finally, Lina became fed up with playing around and threw a fireball at Martina. There was a huge explosion…

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter 7 ~ ~ ~

__

What's next? Nani?! Chaos-Dragon Garv?! No!! What will happen to Kera if she meets him? The next Chapter…


	8. Slayers Extra Chapter 8

****

Chapter Eight: Attack of the Chaos-Dragon Garv!

After Martina had completely recovered (with Kera's help) from her fight with Lina, she and Kera started to travel towards Seyruun where there were some rumours of a Clair Bible. "Ooh… that Lina!" Martina said in a voice full of hatred. "She must pay for what she's done to me!"

"It's no use just saying that all the time," said Kera. "We must figure out a plan that will work."

"Hey, haven't I been thinking out all the plans?" Martina muttered.

"Yeah, but they were full of flaws," reminded Kera, frowning.

"Why don't _you_ come up with a perfect one, then, Kera-san?"

"Er… Well…," stammered Kera uncomfortably. "I can't seem to be able to think of any good ones yet. When I get a really good idea, I'll inform you."

Martina gave her a sly glance out of the corner of her eye. "You've been too distracted, haven't you, Kera-san?"

"I don't know what you mean," replied Kera, looking bewildered.

The green-haired princess grinned shrewdly and said, "I may not be as smart as you are, but I know love when I see it. You're in love with Zelgadiss, aren't you?"

"Wha-what?!" Kera exclaimed, blushing. "No! I'm not!"

"Heh heh… your face is completely red, Kera-san," said Martina, grinning widely. "It's no use denying it. I saw how you acted around him when we were in the same inn. If it wasn't for the disguise… Oh! Poor Xelloss-san. He'll be so jealous of Zelgadiss when he finds out. And-"

"Stop!" Kera shouted suddenly.

"Ke— Kera-san?" Martina asked in concern when Kera stopped walking forward. "Wha-"

With fists clenched tightly, Kera stood staring at the ground. "Don't say any more. I don't want to hear any more."

"Kera-san, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-" gasped Martina, her eyes opened wide.

"Go away, Martina. I mean it. Get lost, NOW!" Kera shouted furiously as she pushed Martina roughly to the ground. She then tossed a heavy bag of money into the now frightened princess' lap. "Take back your money and get as far away from me as you can," ordered Kera, glaring at Martina.

"Kera-san? What's going on? I don't understand…" cried Martina, tears filling her eyes. "Why are you chasing me away? I thought we were friends?"

"Friends?" Kera laughed in Martina's face. "Since when was I your friend? Don't assume that I helped you because I wanted to be your friend, foolish girl. I've tolerated you long enough. Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you to get lost? Scram!!"

Taking the money, Martina ran away in the other direction tearfully. What had come over Kera-san? They had been talking amiably for one moment, then the next moment, they seemed to become enemies. Why did Kera want her to leave? Martina could not figure it out. She only knew that if she did not follow her orders, something terrible would happen to her. Something that would be worse than any number of Lina's fireballs. Did Kera-san really hate her so much? Tears continued flowing down Martina's face. Was she really so detestable?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kera watched Martina's retreat with satisfaction. Forgive me, Martina-chan, she thought sadly. Once the princess was out of sight, she continued walking forward grimly. "You might as well come out now, Mazoku," she said quietly. "I know you're there."

Deep, echoing laughter sounded as a large figure of a red-haired man with a large sword slowly shimmered into view. "Hmmph! You let the princess get away," said the man in a deep voice. "But she doesn't matter. You are the one I've been looking for."

Crouching in a battle-stance, Kera placed her hand on her sword hilt and said, "So you're the mastermind behind all those Mazoku. I was wondering when you would show up. What do you want with me?"

"First, let me introduce myself. I'm called the Chaos-Dragon Garv," he said, bowing slightly. "Perhaps you've heard of me?"

"Cha-Chaos- Dra-Dragon Garv?!" Kera gasped in shock, stumbling to her knees.

"Ah, so you have. You don't have to bow to me, though," said Garv. "Not yet, anyway."

"Wha-what do you want with me?" Kera repeated, hastily getting back on her feet.

"Kera Yurion, I would like you to join my forces," said Garv. After a pause, he corrected his statement, "Wait, scratch that. I must _insist_ that you join my forces."

"Why? Why are you choosing me?" Kera burst out. "Of all the people in the world…"

"I decided that you would make a very good addition to my forces. An addition that would enable me to fulfil my wish to take over the world," he replied.

"You're not answering my question," said Kera with narrowed eyes. "Besides, I would never join forces with Mazoku even if my life depended on it."

"Well, that's too bad," said Garv regretfully as he unsheathed his sword. "I guess I will have to kill you to make sure that you don't join the other side, then." He paused, then said, "However, I'm not totally merciless… I think. I will give you a fighting chance by letting you hit me with everything you've got. Then I'll kill you."

Kera gritted her teeth in fear and rage. Without warning, she unsheathed her sword and lunged at Garv, yelling, "**Astral Vine**!"

Garv parried her thrust almost effortlessly. Swiftly darting away, Kera shot a Ra-Tilt at the Chaos-Dragon Lord, which did exactly nothing. "You'll have to do better than that to injure me," said Garv disdainfully. "Try using more powerful spells."

Clenching her fists in utter fury, Kera forced herself to shut her eyes as she intoned, "**Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows, buried in the flow of time; in thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness! Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess… DRAGON SLAVE**!!"

To her surprise, Garv was caught unawares by this particular magical attack. It caught him directly in the chest and the resulting explosion leveled more than half of the forest. Sweatdropping, Kera glanced at the damage she had caused and turned to leave. That was a nearly fatal mistake. Garv teleported behind her and slashed her back with his enormous sword. Fortunately for Kera, his move had been calculated more to injure than to kill. Coughing up blood, Kera collapsed on all fours.

"This has been rather amusing," remarked Garv as he dusted himself off. "I never considered the possibility of you casting such a destructive spell like the Dragon Slave. I'll give you another chance. Join me and I will spare your life."

"I would rather die," gasped Kera, breathing heavily.

"I'll grant your wish, then," said Garv, bringing his sword down for a final strike. "It's really too bad, though. With your incredible learning ability, you could be the most powerful sorceress in the world. Why do you have to be so stubborn? Then again, I can do to you what I did to Valgarv… What's that you're saying?"

Kera was mumbling something under her breath. "If even the power of Shabranigdo cannot defeat you, perhaps some higher power…" Eyes closed, she was very pale from exhaustion and loss of blood. Nevertheless, she forced herself to stand up and chant, "**Brightness beyond whitest light, paler than the palest twilight; Lady of Light, gleaming like silver upon the Sea of Chaos**…"

"What?! What kind of chant is that? It can't be the Giga Slave…" said Garv, staring at Kera in awe. "STOP!! What are you doing?!"

He leaped at her, intending to end her life with a swift, downward stroke of his sword. However, Kera continued relentlessly, "**I call upon thee, swear myself to thee! Let the fools who stand before us be destroyed by the power you and I possess!**"

Bright light gathered in Kera's outstretched hands. Dark clouds covered the sky as lightning crackled and thunder boomed. The ground shook. She looked up at Garv with gleaming hatred in her eyes and grinned. Daunted by the power she possessed, Garv recoiled. Raising her light-filled hands above her head, she brought them down hard with a cry, "**AURA SLAVE!!**"

The light in Kera's hands exploded, sending silver streaks of light flying in all directions. The massive explosion of light devoured Chaos-Dragon Garv whole. His hastily raised shield just as quickly shimmered out of existence. "It's not possible!! Nnnnooooooooo!!!!" he bellowed in pain and terror as he was completely consumed by the inexorable forces summoned by Kera's spell.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The dark clouds parted and blue sky soon appeared again. The forest where the sorceress Kera and Chaos-Dragon Garv fought had become a large, barren plain. A dusty wind blew across the sandy ground where there had once been the tall, leafy boughs of trees. The solitary figure of a girl stood in the middle of the plain, tears drying in her unseeing eyes. Without a cry, she toppled to the ground and lay very still, only the wind fluttering her bloodied cape and dark-brown hair.

In another part of the world, Xelloss turned sharply around, staring at the ominous sky with his garnet eyes narrowed. A bead of sweat trickled slowly down his face. Something of great importance had just occurred, but he didn't know what. His brow furrowed in anxiety, the Trickster Priest teleported away.

Blinking in surprise, Lina Inverse glanced at the spot that Xelloss had just vacated. What happened? She had never seen him so uneasy before. Looking at the darkened sky with suspicion, she wondered if the thunderstorm had anything to do with it. A munching sound interrupted her thoughts. She turned to look and saw Gourry swiftly eating everything edible on the table. "Gourry!! Why didn't you tell me that the food had arrived?!"

"I saw that you were thinking and did not want to disturb you," mumbled the swordsman between mouthfuls.

Lina started eating in frenzy, with the thought of Xelloss' disappearance at the very back of her mind. "Don't give me excuses! You just wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was preoccupied to eat more food!"

"Lina-san, it's your own fault that you were too absorbed in your thoughts that you didn't notice the food was here," added Amelia, also stuffing herself.

"What? Amelia…!!"

Sipping his tea, Zelgadiss sighed and thought, I wish they didn't have to talk while eating.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In yet another part of the world, Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova looked at the brightening sky and sighed in relief. "Looks like there isn't going to be a storm after all," she said. "I wonder why the sky became so dark just now. Was Lina Inverse casting another of her destructive spells? Sigh… I wonder Kera-san is doing now. Surely she is in a much better state than I am."

Martina looked down at her torn, dirty clothes and sweatdropped. "I guess I'll just have to buy new clothes at the next town."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile, back in the desert created by the battle, a tall shadow loomed over Kera's limp body. "It's hard to believe that a young, fragile-looking sorceress like you is able to cause such damage to Lord Garv," said the cloaked figure. "If it was up to me, I would end your miserable existence right now. However, as Lord Garv would say, killing you would be a terrible waste of resources. Hmmph! If I leave you here any longer, you would die anyway."

Kera's hand twitched. Smiling contemptuously, Valgarv picked her up carefully and slung her over his shoulder. "Put the girl down, Valgarv. You're not taking her anywhere," came another voice. "She belongs to _my _master."

A certain purple-haired priest flashed into view. "Xelloss!" said Valgarv, his smile disappearing. "I should have known you would appear. Hmmph! But even you can't stop me from following Lord Garv's orders."

"And why can't I? I am also under orders, you know?" Xelloss said, smirking at Valgarv. "It seems that this little girl is very popular with our lords, eh?"

"If she is _that_ important to Zelas Metallium, you wouldn't want her to die, would you?" Valgarv said scornfully. "If we fight, she might get injured accidentally."

"Yes, that's true. So if you simply hand her over to me, she won't get injured and everyone will be happy," said Xelloss, smiling.

"You must think I'm an idiot," laughed Valgarv. "I will nev-"

He was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Xelloss' knee at his abdomen. Grasping at his midsection in pain, Valgarv lost hold of Kera. Before the unconscious sorceress fell to the ground, Xelloss snatched her out of the air and vanished after casting Mega Brand and Dark Mist. Valgarv picked himself up from under the rubble caused by Xelloss' Mega Brand spell. The fog from the Dark Mist spell was still too thick to see through but he did not need his sight to know that the priest had disappeared once again. He clenched both fists in fury at his ignominious defeat and teleported away.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Eight ~ ~ ~

__

Well! Poor Kera-chan… what will happen to her now? Where is Xelloss taking her and why is Valgarv after her too?


	9. Slayers Extra Chapter 9

****

Chapter Nine: Now Kera's the Enemy?

Pain. Hot, searing pain that made her twist in agony. Then, cool blackness. Kera wanted to give in completely to the comforting darkness but something in her warned her not to do so. It took every last bit of her weakening willpower not to submit to the release of death. But she was tired, so very tired. Surely a little rest would not matter? Then came the terror. First Garv appeared, brandishing his large sword. He slashed at her continuously and she was powerless to retaliate. She could only scream with pain. Garv was suddenly replaced with a child, a dark-haired boy of about six or seven. He looked innocent, but when he grinned, Kera knew that he was not all he seemed.

A small, golden ball appeared, floating above the boy's palm. He looked at it, then grasped it tightly with his index finger and thumb. Horrified without understanding why, Kera wanted to scream but no voice came from her throat. Very slowly, the boy's finger and thumb became closer and closer together, squeezing the golden ball. The ball cracked… and Kera was gripped by tremendous pain. She rolled on the ground, her shaking hands grasping her sides.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice saying, "It's all right now, Kera-chan. I'll get you to safety."

Listlessly, she opened her eyes and saw… Xelloss. Where was he carrying her to? "To a safe place, where no one will hurt you anymore."

Reassured by his words, Kera closed her eyes. And saw Garv coming at her with his sword again. She screamed and shuddered as his blows hit her again and again.

Xelloss gazed ruefully at the trembling girl he held in his arms. So she had faced the Chaos-Dragon Garv all alone? And had injured him severely, according to his master. Nevertheless, she was only a child. A powerful sorceress, but still only a child. She would still remember this event in her nightmares in years to come. He gripped his staff more tightly as Kera flinched from another imaginary attack. Covering her body with his own cape, Xelloss continued on his way to where Lina Inverse and the others were currently staying.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun heard an urgent-sounding knock on her door. Yawning, she got up sleepily to answer it. "Who is it? Wha- Xelloss-san! What are you doing here? Don't you know what time it is now?"

"This is an emergency, Amelia," said Xelloss seriously as he carefully laid Kera facedown on the bed. "If you don't heal her fast, she's going to die!"

Amelia took one startled glance at the extent of the girl's back injuries and immediately started to work her magic. After a while, she paused and told Xelloss, "Call Lina-san here. I'll need her help too. Please hurry!"

Xelloss nodded once and vanished. Amelia instantly continued to cast Resurrection on Kera. If only Sylphiel were here, she thought desperately. The princess of Sairaag had been the one who taught Amelia the powerful healing spell. Wearing her pajamas, Lina burst into the room looking stunned. "What happened? Xelloss told me that there was an emergency and you needed my help! Who's she?"

"I don't know," replied Amelia, shaking her head. "Xelloss brought her to me and ordered me to heal her. She's been injured very badly."

Lina gazed at Kera's blood-soaked clothes and at Xelloss' similarly stained cape. Where did the Mazoku find this girl? She looked like she was a sorceress and had a long sword buckled to her belt. How did she get so seriously injured? They would certainly get little or no information out of Xelloss himself. Perhaps the girl would tell them when she recovered. "I don't see how I can help you, Amelia," said Lina regretfully. "I don't know Resurrection and casting Recovery may well kill her."

"You don't have to do anything, Lina-san," said Amelia as she concentrated on healing Kera. "Just your presence is enough. As you know, the spell Resurrection uses the energy drawn from nearby life forms to heal the person."

"So you need my energy?" Lina asked. "Why don't you call Gourry and Zelgadiss here too?"

Amelia looked embarrassed. "That's because I will have to remove some of her clothes later so that I can make sure that the wound is healing properly. And when she wakes up later, she's not going to be very happy if she finds out…"

"That's easy," said Lina. "I'll just tell the guys to face the wall. The first one who turns around to look gets a Fireball. Xelloss! I know you're around here somewhere. Get Gourry and Zelgadiss here!"

There was no answer but the three men soon came into the room. "What's the matter, Lina?" Gourry asked, yawning widely.

"KERA!!" Zelgadiss shouted when he saw who the injured girl was. He dashed to the bed and gazed in horror at the great slash on her back. "Tell me who did this to her!" he demanded, grabbing Xelloss by the collar.

"I'm not supposed to tell you now," said Xelloss, looking uncomfortable in Zelgadiss' grip. "But if you really want to know, it was a very powerful Mazoku."

"What?! Another Mazoku?" Zelgadiss exclaimed.

"It wasn't just any Mazoku…" muttered Xelloss under his breath. "Even I would not be able to defeat him…"

"So this is Kera?" Lina said, gazing down at the fragile-looking girl.

"Who?" Gourry asked, confused as usual.

"Never mind about that now, Gourry," said Lina. "The three of you, turn around and face the wall until I tell you not to. Or else, you'll get a Fireball."

Xelloss, Zelgadiss and Gourry immediately turned around. "What's the point of getting us here, then?" Zelgadiss asked.

"Amelia needs your energy to heal Kera by using Resurrection," Lina explained. "But, the last part of the healing process needs…um, er… some of Kera's clothes to be… er… taken off."

Zelgadiss blushed. Lina smirked and said, "Any more questions?"

Gourry raised his hand. "May I ask a question? Who is Kera?"

Lina sweatdropped and said, "She's the girl who is being healed by Amelia now, dummy. She used to travel with Zel on the way to Zoana. Amelia, are you done yet?"

"Not yet, Lina-san," replied Amelia. "I'll be done in a short while… Phew. I'm done now."

After covering the peacefully sleeping Kera with a blanket, Amelia sat down on the floor, feeling exhausted. It was a good thing that Lina-san had asked the others to come or. Since Kera was a close friend of Zelgadiss, she had done her best to heal her and had succeeded. Zelgadiss, Lina and Gourry came over to stand beside the bed. Xelloss picked up his cape, flipped it once then put it on. "Thank you, Amelia," said Xelloss as he bent down to pat her on the shoulder.

"You don't have to thank me, Xelloss-san," replied Amelia. "It was my duty. Anyway, everyone contributed their energy."

"So, did Kera destroy that Mazoku?" Lina asked Xelloss.

"No," he replied, his hair hiding his eyes.

"NO?!" Lina and Zelgadiss said loudly.

"Hush! You'll wake Kera up!" Amelia scolded.

"What do you mean by 'No'?" said Zelgadiss in a quieter voice.

"Exactly what it means. No, she did not destroy the Mazoku, even though he was terribly injured by her," said Xelloss. "Don't ask me about the details because I don't know either. I just found her lying in a desert and brought her here."

"So how did you know she fought the powerful Mazoku?" Lina asked in deep suspicion.

"Now, that is a secret," smiled Xelloss.

Zelgadiss grabbed him by the collar again. "Tell me, or else…"

"Or else what?" said Xelloss, disappearing once more.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Outside the room, a shadowy figure hovered just outside the window, watching silently. Then it also disappeared.

"So what are we going to do about her?" Gourry asked.

"We'll wait until she's recovered before we continue travelling," said Lina. "She might want to come to Seyruun with us."

Zelgadiss nodded agreement. Lina continued, "Meanwhile, you two guys go back to your rooms. Amelia and I will keep watch here in case any Mazoku should attack."

"All right," said Zelgadiss as he and Gourry walked out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"Amelia, if you're tired, go ahead and sleep," said Lina. "I'll wake you when I get tired."

Yawning, Amelia said, "It's all right, Lina-san. I'm not that sleepy yet."

"If you say so, Amelia."

"Lina-san?"

"What is it, Amelia?"

"Do- do you think that Zelgadiss-san likes Kera-san?" said Amelia shyly.

"Well, I dunno. It may be possible," replied Lina thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, er, nothing, nothing at all…"

"Hmmph! What I really want to know is why Xelloss brought her here and how he knows what he does," remarked Lina. "Attacked by a very powerful Mazoku, eh? Hmm…"

"Maybe he was just being kind," suggested Amelia.

"Hello? We're talking about Xelloss here," said Lina. "He never does anything without a really good reason."

"That's true," agreed Amelia as she yawned again.

"What do you think he's up to, Amelia?" asked Lina.

There was no answer. Amelia was already asleep beside Kera. Lina smiled, then also started feeling very sleepy. "Maybe I'll rest for a little while," she said, laying her head on her folded arms. She was asleep in a few seconds.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The room became filled with a ghostly green-white light. "Arise, Kera," came a deep, echoing voice. "Come to me."

As if hypnotised, Kera got up and walked towards the voice. She became infused with the greenish light and started to walk out of the room. In the corridor, Zelgadiss was also fast asleep. Gourry was snoring inside his own room. When she was outside the inn, Kera looked up at the sky and chanted, "**Levitation!**"

Suddenly, Xelloss appeared in front of her. "Where are you going, Kera-chan? Surely you're not so rude as to leave without thanking them for healing you?"

Without hesitation, Kera shot a Fireball at Xelloss. The Trickster Priest dodged the first attack easily but was grazed by the Flare Lance and nearly hit by the Garv Flare that she fired at him. "What the- Kera?" Xelloss said, surprised that she was attacking him so viciously. "What are you doing?!"

"**Elmekia Lance!**" called a voice from behind them.

Kera evaded the spirit magic attack, then retaliated with another Elmekia Lance. Lina yelped as she quickly darted away. Amelia and Zelgadiss were hovering in the air beside her. "I told you she learns damn fast," said Zelgadiss, narrowing his eyes at Kera. "If Xelloss hadn't awakened us, she would have disappeared already. Kera! Where are you going?"

The girl did not answer but continued to stare at them with cold, jade-green eyes. "She's being controlled by someone," said Xelloss, both his purple-red eyes open.

"Huh? Who could it be? Why?" Amelia asked, looking scared.

"Whoever it is, he's gonna pay," said Lina, flying towards Kera.

Kera flew further away, then closed her eyes and chanted, "**Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows, buried in the flow of time; in Thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness. Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess!**"

"What?! The Dragon Slave?" Lina said, appalled. "How can she-? Everyone, run!"

"**Dragon Slave!**" Initially, Kera was aiming at Xelloss, then she suddenly switched direction and aimed at Lina instead. Shocked beyond belief, Lina could only stand and stare as death came towards her. The crimson flame engulfed her completely.

"LINA-SAN!!" Amelia cried as the explosion occurred. "NO!!!"

Zelgadiss stared at the red ball of flame in horror. He simply could not believe his eyes. "No, this can't be happening," he whispered. "LINA!!"

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter 9 ~ ~ ~

__

Kera! What are you doing?! Will Lina be killed? Stay tuned ^_~


	10. Slayers Extra Chapter 10

****

Chapter Ten: Kera joins Lina's group?

Lina opened her eyes. She wasn't dead, she thought. Why? Looking up, she saw Xelloss with his staff in front of her. So he was the one who saved her. "Lina! Hurry, there isn't much time," urged Xelloss. "Kera's getting ready to cast another powerful spell."

"What am I supposed to do?" Lina muttered. "Kera's being controlled by a spell, so… ok! Xelloss, you distract her. I need to get close to her."

"Understood, Lina-san," said Xelloss. "Leave it to me."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Meanwhile, a flood of tears was coming from Amelia's eyes. "Lina-san! Waaaaahhh!!"

"Wait, Amelia," said Zelgadiss as he spotted Lina. "She's still alive! There! Look!"

"Huh? Where?! Oh, Lina-san! You're alive!" Amelia exclaimed, wiping her tears.

Lina flew swiftly behind Kera, who seemed to see something in front of her. Kera continued to attack the image that she saw. As soon as she was close enough, Lina cast Flow Break. Kera stiffened, then started to fall. "Zel! Catch her, quick!"

Zelgadiss flew directly below Kera and caught her in his arms. "Phew, that was close," said Lina as she wiped off perspiration from her forehead.

"Are you all right, Lina-san?" Amelia asked as Lina and Zelgadiss landed on the ground.

"I'm fine, thanks to Xelloss," said Lina, winking at the priest.

"You're welcome, Lina-san," said Xelloss as he winked back.

Amelia glanced at the two of them and was relieved that Gourry was not here. "Ahem, so what do we do about Kera?" she asked.

"I'll keep watch over her this time," said Xelloss, walking over to where Zelgadiss was standing. "You three did a _really_ great job the last time. Falling asleep on the job, indeed!"

"Hey!" Lina exclaimed angrily. "It wasn't our fault, ok? The _thing_ that was controlling Kera made us sleep! And Zel, what were you doing in the corridor?"

"I… er…" Zelgadiss looked rather embarrassed.

"You didn't trust us, did you?!" Lina accused.

"Well… it wouldn't have much difference if I hadn't been there," retorted Zelgadiss.

"Lina-san, Zelgadiss-san, please stop arguing," pleaded Amelia. "Shall we go back to the inn now?"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Xelloss took Kera limp body from Zelgadiss and went to Amelia's room. "Eh? Then where do I stay?" Amelia asked Xelloss.

He shrugged, then smiled and said, "Either Lina's room or Zelgadiss'. You decide."

Amelia glanced at Zelgadiss and the both of them blushed simultaneously. "Er… I think I'll go to Lina's room," Amelia said, blushing.

"Good luck to you, then," said Xelloss, still smiling.

"Hey, what did you mean by that, Xelloss?!" Lina demanded.

"Nothing, nothing," said Xelloss, sweatdropping.

Lina stalked off and Amelia followed her back to her room. "You'd better take good care of Kera, understand?" Zelgadiss said, looking at Xelloss directly in the eye. "If anything bad happens to her, I'll hold you responsible."

"Sure, don't worry, Zelgadiss," said Xelloss. "You can rely on me."

"Hmmph!" snorted Zelgadiss as he gave Xelloss a narrow-eyed glare then returned to his own room.

"Aw," said Xelloss, as he opened the door. "They don't trust me all that much, do they? Well, at least Kera-chan trusts me… I think."

He walked into the room and laid Kera on the bed, as he had done just a few hours before. Pulling a wooden chair beside the bed, he sat down on it and looked around the room. As cheap inns went, this one wasn't all that bad. There was a small vase of flowers on the dressing table and there were some pictures hanging on the walls. These added some colour to the otherwise drab-looking room. After he got tired of looking at the room, he looked at Kera instead.

Kera Yurion is a nice name, he thought, smiling. Much better than Xelloss. The name fitted the girl who bore it. She was basically a nice girl, who had the misfortune to meet Lina Inverse. He grinned. Lina would hurt him considerably if she ever heard that. However, her ability for learning magic was amazing. She must have been given that special ability for a reason, he thought. What was the reason? As he pondered on this, the hours seemed to pass quickly.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The sun's rays shone through the window. Kera stirred, then opened her eyes. Where was she? was her first thought. She only remembered fighting Garv, then collapsing in exhaustion on the sand… after that, she couldn't remember. She glanced around her. "Ah, you're finally awake," came a familiar voice. "How are you feeling, Kera-chan?"

Xelloss?! Why was he here? Wherever _here_ was. "Where… am I?" Kera said as she sat up.

"You're in an inn," replied Xelloss. "I brought you here, remember?"

Kera shook her head drowsily. "I can't seem to remember anything after the battle with Garv. Did you heal me?"

"So you _did_ fight Garv," said Xelloss thoughtfully. "No, I didn't heal you. Amelia did."

"Amelia? The princess of Seyruun?" Kera asked. "But she's with Lina Inverse, isn't she? Don't tell me- you-"

Smiling, Xelloss nodded. "What? Lina Inverse is my enemy, you Mazoku!" Kera exclaimed, then grasped her head in pain. "Ahh… damn this headache."

"You shouldn't have gotten up so quickly," commented Xelloss. "You haven't recovered completely. Especially after last night…"

"What happened last night?!" Kera demanded, looking at Xelloss through narrowed eyes. "Don't tell me you…"

"No, no. I didn't do anything to you, Kera-chan," said Xelloss, waving his hands frantically. "You really don't remember a thing? Ah well, I'll tell you. Zelgadiss, Amelia and Lina were guarding you, but they fell asleep and you walked out. Then when I followed you, you attacked me. Fortunately, I woke the others earlier and they came to my rescue… sort of. Anyway, you Dragon Slaved Lina but it didn't work because I was shielding her. Then, Lina cast Flow Break on you and we brought you back here."

"But… why did I do all those things?" Kera asked, bewildered.

"I suspect that someone was controlling you," said Xelloss. "Quite a few Mazoku are after you, you know? Especially after that encounter with Garv. I'm sure he's after you now more than ever."

"What?! He's not dead?" Kera shouted, then clutched her head in pain again. "Ow…"

"Oh, relax, Kera-chan," said Xelloss, patting her shoulder comfortingly. "You did injure him terribly. How ever did you manage to do it?"

Kera worked Recovery on herself and said, "I'm not sure… I Dragon Slaved him but it didn't do much use, so I called upon some higher power."

"Higher power? The Lord of Nightmares?!" Xelloss said, staring at her in alarm.

"Who's that? No, I didn't call upon the Lord of Nightmares," said Kera. "I think it was the Lady of Light or something. I can't remember all that clearly."

"You mean you didn't use the Giga Slave? Lady of Light…? Hmm…" said Xelloss.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," said Kera.

Lina opened the door cautiously. Amelia, Zelgadiss and Gourry were behind her. "Hi, Kera. Are you feeling better?"

Kera flinched. It was Lina Inverse! Her enemy. Xelloss whispered in her ear, "Pretend you don't know her, Kera-chan. There will be less complications, this way."

"Er… who are you?" Kera inquired nervously.

The others thought that her nervousness was because she was meeting Lina for the first time. "Oh, I forgot," said Lina, coming into the room. "My name is Lina Inverse. You may have heard of me?"

"Lina… Inverse? Oh, that famous Bandit-Killer Lina Inverse?" Kera said.

"Ah! Yes, that's me!" Lina said happily. "But I'm afraid that the rumours are a little exaggerated. I'm not that bad, really."

"Is that right? I've always thought that the rumours were quite accurate," remarked Gourry, scratching his head.

Lina kicked him in the shin. "Ow…" said Gourry as he hopped around the room in pain. Kera stared at them, sweatdropping. Zelgadiss looked embarrassed to have them as travelling companions. Amelia sighed. Xelloss just smiled.

"Er… don't mind him. By the way, he's Gourry Gabriev, she's Amelia and you already know Zelgadiss, right?" said Lina, smiling sheepishly. "Yup, Zel told us all about you… mostly. So, what really happened to you? And who was the 'powerful Mazoku' that Xelloss told us about?"

"Er… well…" Kera was at a loss of words.

"Lina-san," interrupted Xelloss. "Perhaps it's not a good idea to ask Kera-chan these questions at this point of time. She's still recovering from the shock she's had."

"Well, ok," said Lina reluctantly. "But you will tell me anytime you're ready, right? Kera?"

"Uh, sure," said Kera apprehensively. Phew, thanks, Xelloss, she thought.

"Shall we go for breakfast, then?" Lina suggested.

"Yes!" Gourry exclaimed enthusiastically, his injury forgotten. "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

The two of them rushed out of the door while Amelia followed them more slowly. Zelgadiss stayed back to see if Kera needed any help. Kera was touched by his action. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Zelgadiss-san! I missed you so much!" Kera cried, impulsively hugging him around the waist.

The blue-skinned chimera turned completely red. Amused, Xelloss coughed abruptly. Once Kera realised what she was doing, she let go of him hastily, blushing deeply. "I'm sorry, Zelgadiss-san," she said hesitantly. "I… er…"

"…" There was a short silence. Xelloss glanced at both of them, smiling. Both Kera and Zelgadiss did not dare to look at each other.

"Zelgadiss-san! Kera-san! Xelloss-san!" Amelia's voice rang out. "Come on, it's time for breakfast now! What's taking you so long?"

"Er… I guess we should go now," said Zelgadiss, moving towards the doorway.

"Xelloss, are you coming?" Kera asked, giving the Mazoku a side-glance.

"Sure, sure," replied Xelloss as he stood up.

Zelgadiss walked in front, with Kera behind him. Xelloss walked beside Kera, looking at her red face. "What are you looking at, Mazoku?" she muttered.

"Oh, nothing," murmured Xelloss. "I've just never seen your face so red before. You really like Zelgadiss, don't you?"

Kera quickly cooled her burning face with her hands. "So what if I do? It doesn't make much difference to you," she said quietly.

"Of course it does!" said Xelloss, wagging his finger at her.

"Oh yeah? How?"

"My master won't be happy with a priestess who's in love with a mortal," said Xelloss.

"Your master doesn't have to bother," said Kera. "What priestess are you talking about?"

"Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you," said Xelloss, smacking his forehead. "My master, the Greater Beast Zelas Metallium, wants to make you her priestess. You should be honoured, Kera-chan. She doesn't just choose any mortal, you know?"

"WHAT?!" Kera exclaimed. Zelgadiss glanced behind him to see what they were so excited about. "No way!"

"What's the matter, Kera-chan?" asked Zelgadiss. "Is Xelloss bothering you?"

"Er… not exactly," replied Kera, sweatdropping.

"Do consider it, Kera-chan," whispered Xelloss in her ear. "I'll ask you again soon. Meanwhile, just travel with Lina and her group and don't create any trouble, ok?"

"Why should I obey you?" Kera muttered.

"Because it's in your interest too," said Xelloss, disappearing. "I have something to attend to, but I'll be back soon."

"Good riddance," said Kera as she stuck out her tongue at the spot where Xelloss had been.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter Ten ~ ~ ~

__

Hope you enjoyed it! ^_^ Chapter Eleven is coming up real soon… I think. *sweatdrop*


	11. 

Chapter Eleven: On to Seyruun ****

Chapter Eleven: On to Seyruun!

Zelgadiss and Kera walked downstairs to the tavern. Lina, Amelia and Gourry were already eating breakfast. Amelia looked up as they entered and waved, then she continued eating. Kera stared, wide-eyed. Zelgadiss sighed and explained, "That's the way they always eat."

"Oh," said Kera as she watched Lina and Gourry quarreling over a thick slab of meat. "It's amazing how fast they can eat…"

"Yeah," said Zelgadiss, sitting down at the over-laden table.

"Hey, where's Xelloss?" Lina asked after she noticed that the priest was not with them.

"He left just now, saying that he had some business to attend to," said Kera, shrugging. "Don't ask me what it is, though."

"He's always disappearing for no reason anyway," remarked Lina. "Or rather, he has a reason but he won't tell us."

"That's his secret," muttered Kera as she bit into an apple.

Everyone stared at her in amazement. "Wha-what? What did I say?" Kera asked nervously.

"How did you know he always says that, Kera-san?" Amelia said. "Unless…"

"Huh? But… I knew him before I met you all," explained Kera. "Even before I met with Zelgadiss-san."

"So are you related to him or something? Who is he, really?" Lina questioned.

"I… don't know," confessed Kera. "He never really told me anything about himself. But what made you think I was related to him?"

Lina and Amelia exchanged a glance. "Well… for one thing, he takes very good care of you," said Lina. "If the injured person had been any one of us, I doubt very much that he would care that much."

"Oh, I didn't realize," said Kera. She looked thoughtful, then said under her breath, "It looks like he isn't lying about his master wanting me as her priestess."

"Did you say something, Kera-san?" Amelia asked.

"No, no," said Kera quickly. "I was just wondering when we are leaving. By the way, where are you guys headed?"

"Seyruun!" Amelia said happily. "That's my home and also, we want to have a look at the library. There may be some information on the Clair Bible there."

"Will you be travelling with us?" Lina asked. "We would love to have your company."

"Well… I don't have any place to go so I guess I'll follow you," said Kera. "That is, if you don't mind having me."

"Of course we won't mind, right, Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia said.

"You're welcome to come to Seyruun with us, Kera-chan," said Zelgadiss, smiling.

"Hey, Kera, you must reconsider," whispered Gourry. "Travelling with Lina is-"

"I heard that! What were you going to say, Gourry?" Lina growled, grabbing Gourry by the collar.

"Er… Travelling with you is very… fun! That's it! Fun!" Gourry said, sweatdropping.

"Hmmph!" Lina snorted. "Don't think I don't know what you were going to say."

"If you're done eating, Lina, could we set off now?" Zelgadiss asked.

"Sure, sure," said Lina. "Waiter, could we have the bill please? Oh, and while you're at it, could you bring three set lunches to take away?"

Kera, Zelgadiss and Amelia sweatdropped. "Lina-san… My father is going to kill me when he sees that bill," complained Amelia. "Could you please stop spending so much?"

"Nonsense!" Lina said, flashing the royal seal of Seyruun before the stunned waiter. Amelia facefaulted. "Lina-san…!" Amelia wailed.

"Ok, ok, Amelia," said Lina finally. "I promise that this is that last time I'll use the royal seal, all right?"

Amelia sighed in relief. Kera glanced at both girls thoughtfully. Zelgadiss got up from his seat and started walking towards the exit. Kera and Amelia quickly joined him. After paying for the meal, Lina and Gourry also followed suit. Soon, they were on the road to Seyruun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Ah… I'm so full!" Lina said, contentedly patting her stomach. "What I would need now is a fight to make today a great day. If we meet any bandits, boy, are they going to regret they even heard of the name 'Lina Inverse'!"

"What will you do to them?" Kera asked cautiously.

"What I will do to them? Hmm… it depends on how polite they are," replied Lina, grinning. "If they are polite enough to hand over all the money that they stole, I'll be merciful and just chase them away with a Flare Arrow or two. However, if they are rude to me, they will get a Fireball and I'll still take their money. If they _really_ make me mad, I'll give them a Dragon Slave! Heh heh."

"Lina-san!" Kera exclaimed. "That's terrible!"

"Eh? What's terrible?" said Lina, looking surprised.

"Surely simple bandits do not deserve a Dragon Slave!" Kera protested.

"Why not? Oh, I see," said Lina. "You don't want to damage the forest, right? In that case, I'll just blow them up into the sky. Will that be better?"

"No! You just don't seem to get it, do you?! I just don't see the need for you to use the Dragon Slave on anyone at all!" Kera shouted angrily.

"You are the one who doesn't get it!" Lina retorted, starting to get piqued. She thought, how dare this girl tell me what to do?! "How else am I going to deal with bandits and other annoying people?! Do you expect me to ask for their permission to hurt them?"

Meanwhile, Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss moved to a safe distance away from the quarreling pair. Unnoticed by anyone, a smiling Xelloss sat in a tree, watching them argue with each other.

"What do you think I am, stupid?" Kera argued. "Of course not! You could at least give them a chance to run before hurting them."

"What?!" Lina yelled, grabbing Kera by her collar. "What fun will _that_ be? Travelling will be so boring if we did that all the time!"

"Travelling _is_ boring! That's a fact and you can't change it simply by making others suffer," said Kera. "And, get your hands off me."

Lina released her and walked forward, her nose in the air. "Fine then, Kera-san. I'll let you deal with the next group of bandits that we come across."

"Fine!" Kera retorted, glaring at Lina.

Lina glared back, and then they both turned their noses up at each other and stalked forward. Zelgadiss sighed as he walked beside Kera. Gourry shook his head sadly as he caught up with Lina while Amelia looked unsure of who to support and she walked in the middle. They walked like this for an hour or so, until a large, bearded man with a thick club stepped into their path. "All right, the five of you can hand over all your valuables now," he said with a smug grin. "We've got you surrounded so don't even think about fighting back."

Kera and Lina exchanged glances. Lina shrugged and folded her arms. Hmm, this should be interesting, thought Xelloss as he settled down on another tree to watch. Gourry started to draw his sword when Lina stopped him. "Let Kera handle this on her own like she said she would. Go on, Kera-san, do your stuff," taunted Lina.

"Hmmph! As if I need your permission," muttered Kera.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Hand over all you've got," demanded the bandit, impatiently thumping his club in the palm of his other hand. "Or do I have to make you?"

"Why don't we do it the other way around?" Kera asked snidely, folding her arms. She toyed with her sword hilt confidently. "You hand over all the stuff that you've robbed from others and we'll promise not to hurt you too much."

"What?!" The bandit looked amazed. A girl who didn't look much older than sixteen was threatening _him_? "So what if you can fight?" he said, gesturing towards his men. "We outnumber you three to one. The odds are against you, girl."

"Hmm… well, I guess I have to warn you first," said Kera, confidentially whispering in the man's ear. She gestured towards Lina. "That redhead over there is the Bandit-Killer, Lina Inverse. You've probably heard rumours about her, but let me tell you, those rumours were all false. She's even scarier in person! She doesn't even spare her own travelling companions."

Her acting skills were coming in handy, thought Kera, grinning mentally. The bandit chief seemed to believe her. Well, what she was telling him was true, wasn't it? The bearded bandit looked at Lina, (who happened to be beating Gourry up for some reason) then back at Kera, who nodded dramatically. He sweatdropped, then ordered one of his henchmen to get some of their money. Kera gave a scornful glance at the handful of gold coins that they offered to her.

"Is that it? Didn't I ask you for all of your money? It looks like you need more persuasion," said Kera, sighing as if in regret. "All right, then. Let me tell you. I'm also a black magic sorceress and I can be as bad as Lina, or even worse than she is, if I wanted to. So, you'd better hand over _all_ of your money right now, or else!"

She fired one Flare Arrow alarmingly close to the bandit chief's right foot. He jumped in fright. "That was only a tiny demonstration of my magic. If you don't want a pair of Dragon Slaves on your heads, _please_ hand over the money right now," said Kera, smiling sanguinely.

The chief bandit hastily sent his henchmen to retrieve more of their treasure. Kera and Lina's eyes glittered at all the gold that was handed to them. While Lina watched sulkily, Kera pocketed all the money, then started walking again, grinning triumphantly. The others followed her. Amelia caught up with Kera and asked, "Kera-san! How did you do it? How did you manage to let the bandits give you their money?"

"That is a secret," said Kera, winking.

"Tell me, please?" Amelia pleaded, her eyes glittering with stars.

"All right," Kera said, sweatdropping. "I made use of mainly Lina's reputation, a some acting skills and a little magic."

Lina's ears twitched. "Did I hear _my_ reputation?" she asked, suddenly catching up with Kera and Amelia. "If you used my reputation, I should get some of the money too."

"Says who?" Kera protested. "I did all the work. The money should belong to me."

Oh dear, here we go again, thought Amelia as she slowly backed away.

"Ha! But if it wasn't for _my_ reputation, you wouldn't be able to do anything," argued Lina as the two girls glared at each other again.

"Who needs _your_ reputation anyway? Even if you weren't here, I would still be able to get their money," declared Kera. "Maybe not this much, but still a considerable amount."

The two girls continued scowling at each other, then Kera sighed and looked away. "All right, since you insist on being so childish, I'll give you one third of the money," she said, reluctantly getting out her money pouch.

"Childish?! How can you say I'm being childish? I'm being practical here," said Lina, looking annoyed. "Who wants your dirty money anyway?"

"Oh? So you don't want my money now? Fine, I'll keep it, but don't regret your decision," mocked Kera as she kept the pouch inside her cape again.

Lina pretended that she did not care and continued walking sullenly. Zelgadiss, Gourry and Amelia sighed and sweatdropped.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

My, my, thought Xelloss as he walked a short distance behind them. Kera's almost as good as I am when it comes to taunting people. My master certainly has good judgement, he thought, smiling. When Kera suddenly glanced behind, he disappeared again. Shaking her head in puzzlement, Kera couldn't shake off the feeling that they were being followed.

~ ~ ~ The End of Chapter 11 ~ ~ ~

I'm sorry that this chapter took so long to get posted. I sort of forgot about it… hehe…^_^;;


	12. 

Chapter Twelve: Seyruun and Prince Philionel's Death ****

Chapter Twelve: Seyruun and Prince Philionel's Death

The group soon arrived at Seyruun's gates. The town was as busy as usual, but the palace seemed rather quiet somehow. Also, there were a surprising number of palace guards present. Then, Zelgadiss pointed out that the national flags were flying at half-mast. Since that only happened when a member of royalty passed away, naturally Amelia was shocked. She ran into the palace itself and was greeted by her Uncle Christopher and her cousin Alfred. After being told the bad news about her father's death, Amelia became very depressed. She ran crying to the palace library.

A thunderstorm soon started and the rain came pouring down, giving a gloomy atmosphere to the situation. Lina and Kera exchanged a glance, then they both went to console her. Suddenly, in a flash of lightning, there was a shadow of a large man at the window. Zelgadiss leapt into the room with a Flare Arrow and the mysterious figure soon disappeared.

"What was that all about?" Kera asked, breathing hard from the shock.

"Could it be…" Lina started.

Amelia looked determined. "Whoever it was, he must have something to do with my father's death. Now it is my duty to uphold justice in my father's stead! I shall discover the identity of my father's murderer and destroy him!"

Thunder roared as if in approval. Lina and Kera sweatdropped. "Uh… Amelia," said Lina.

"Never mind… let her do it her way," said Kera softly. "I know how she feels. Maybe it will make her feel better."

Lina glanced at Kera and saw tears forming in her green eyes. Kera had her eyes cast down and her clenched fists were trembling.

"Kera… I…"

"I'm fine, Lina-san," she said, forcing a bitter smile as she quickly wiped off her tears with the back of her hands. "I just recalled some bad memories, that's all."

Zelgadiss glanced at Amelia, then at Kera. Just then, Gourry rushed into the room. "What happened here?" he asked, looking horrified at the shattered window.

Lina and Zelgadiss sweatdropped. "Where were you, huh?" Lina demanded, grabbing Gourry by his collar. "Zel was just in time, but you…! Some bodyguard you are!"

Gourry looked uncomfortable. He scratched his head, smiling sheepishly. "I… er…"

Zelgadiss walked out of the library, past Lina and Gourry. "The only thing we can do now is help Amelia find her father's murderer," he said. "So are you guys coming or not?"

"Zelgadiss-san!" Amelia said, her eyes filling with tears. "Thank you for helping me!"

Kera glanced suspiciously at Amelia and Zel, then shook her head and sighed.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Early the next morning, the group set off for the forest where Prince Philionel's royal dagger had been found and started digging for clues. Literally. However, after about one hour, Lina threw down her shovel and shouted, "This is pointless! We're not going to find anything even after spending the whole day here!"

"Where's Xelloss when we need him?" Kera muttered, also putting down her spade. She sat down on the floor and fanned herself with her hand. "So what do you think we should do now, Lina?"

"Why are _you_ asking me? I thought you were the one with all the bright ideas?" Lina snorted irritably.

"Lina, I'm not in the mood for an argument right now, ok?" Kera said, wiping off her perspiration. "Besides, we have company."

Kera stood up, unsheathing her sword. Gourry and Zelgadiss did the same. Amelia took out her father's dagger. Lina looked around the shallow valley, then called out, "Hey, whoever you are, come out! We know you're here!"

A tall figure flashed into view on top of an outcropping of rock. "Mazoku!" Lina gasped. "Don't tell me… Phil's death has something to do with Mazoku?"

"No!! It isn't possible!" Amelia exclaimed. "But why?"

"We'll find out soon enough," said Zelgadiss, narrowing his eyes. "He's going to attack!"

The Mazoku flew towards then, producing several other demons. Suddenly, the black figure from last night appeared on a bare tree. The man spoke in a deep voice, "Cease your evil doings, spawn of darkness! Whenever the light of justice falls, darkness is banished!"

"Hey, wait a minute, that sounds like… Phil?" Lina gasped.

"What?!" Kera exclaimed, giving Lina an incredulous glance. "But isn't he…"

The black-caped person attacked the demons, which fired blue energy bolts at him. One of the bolts grazed his face and tore his mask off. When they saw his face, everyone except Kera gasped. It really was Prince Philionel! Even the Mazoku seemed surprised. "So, he's not dead, is he? Well, I'll fix that soon enough," he muttered.

"And now I'm all confused," shouted Lina, scratching her hair in frustration.

"Why don't we talk about that _after_ we get rid of all these demons?" Kera suggested, preparing to cast an Elmekia Lance.

"No need," said Zelgadiss as he gestured towards Phil. "The prince is doing that for us."

They all watched incredulously as the powerfully built prince destroyed the demons with his bare hands. Amelia watched with stars shining in her eyes. Finally, she couldn't resist it any more and turned to Lina. "Lina-san, please…"

"Me? Why me? Oh… all right," said Lina resignedly. "**Diem Wind**!"

Amelia was sent flying towards her father and the father-daughter pair defeated the last demon together. By this time, the Mazoku had already disappeared. It almost seemed too easy. Kera glanced suspiciously around them, then shook her head and followed the others back to Seyruun.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Back at the clearing, two low voices were having a serious conversation. "Well, that was rather unexpected."

"Indeed… Now we also have two targets to look out for instead of just one."

"Are they of equal importance to our lord?"

"Perhaps. However, only one is still important to us."

"What about the other?"

"It is rumoured that the other may be of more importance than the one we want. I wonder why that is so."

"Only our lord knows…"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After Prince Phil's triumphant homecoming, he announced that the five travellers were now his personal bodyguards. No one in the kingdom was very surprised. After all, their beloved king had just narrowly escaped death. "I sure hope that Xelloss doesn't turn up now," thought Kera, rolling her eyes as she stood beside Lina and Amelia as Prince Phil made his announcement.

The group retreated to the conference room to discuss the reasons behind Phil's faked up death. "For now, the most important thing is to take care of this _little_ problem as soon as possible," said Lina.

"That's right," agreed the prince. "As your temporary posts as my bodyguards, you all will be able to move freely in the palace. I've already informed the other guards about this."

"Once everything has been settled, don't forget to give us the most important thing," said Lina, smiling.

"Of course I won't forget to reward you," said Phil.

"All right, let's discuss the price, then. How about this?" she asked, taking out an abacus and calculating the sum on it.

"WHAT? So much?" Prince Philionel's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Erm… how about this instead?"

"You're so stingy!" complained Lina. "That's— ow! Zel! What was that for?"

"Stop quarrelling already," said Zelgadiss, retrieving his sword, which he had used to hit Lina on the head. "We're here to discuss the important stuff."

"But this is important! I—" A knock on the double-doors interrupted her. Everyone turned to look as Prince Christopher and Alfred came in.

"Oh, my dear brother!" said Christopher. "I'm so glad to see that you're all right."

"Ah, Christopher and Alfred, it's good to see you again," replied Phil. "These are the people who have saved me from death. I believe you've already met them. This red-haired young lady is Lina Inverse and the others are her travelling companions."

Prince Christopher grasped Lina's hands in his and thanked her gratefully for rescuing his brother. Embarrassed, Lina said that it hadn't been much of a problem and that it was her duty to help her friend. "Here in the city of Seyruun, there are plenty of white magic users, but white magic alone cannot deal with such problems effectively," continued Christopher.

"That's true," agreed Phil. "That's why we have to hire powerful black magic mages like yourself, Lina."

"If we ever get a chance, I would like to witness that power myself," came a masculine voice.

Two people entered the room. One was a green-haired man with a cross-shaped scar on his right cheek and the other was a voluptuous crimson haired woman. Sitting beside Gourry, Kera narrowed her eyes and regarded them with suspicion. Lina muttered, "Who are these people?"

"Ah, you're here at last, Kanzeil," said Prince Christopher. "Lina Inverse, I would like you to meet Kanzeil and Mazenda. They're also powerful mages like yourself."

"I never thought that I would be able to meet the famous Lina Inverse," said Mazenda in a dulcet voice. "Your powers are very well known among the mage guilds."

"It's nice to meet you at last, Lina," said Kanzeil, shaking her hand. "I hope that we can learn from each other in the near future."

Lina smiled. "I'm sure that will happen… very soon indeed."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Later, as the group relaxed with iced drinks on an open-air terrace, Amelia grumbled, "Who does that Kanzeil think he is? Barging into a confidential meeting and challenging us like that."

"I suppose they don't have any reason to like us," said Zelgadiss.

"That's true," agreed Lina. "Since they were hired by Prince Christopher and he is the one with the most reason to want Phil dead."

"Not to mention that Kanzeil and Mazenda may not be human at all," added Kera. "Which is very likely, considering the fact that the Mazoku were involved in Prince Philionel's supposed demise."

Lina nodded. "This means that this whole deal is a lot more complicated than it seems. If Prince Christopher is working together with the Mazoku to get rid of Phil, there may be more at stake here than just the throne."

"Since we know so much already, let's go and show them the hand of Justice!" exclaimed Amelia.

"That will not do, Amelia," said Lina. "You don't seem to understand the situation here. What we've discussed so far are only our own conclusions. We don't have any evidence to back them up."

"Then…" Amelia trailed off, her enthusiasm gone.

"Listen, we all know how much you want this problem to be resolved as soon as possible," said Kera, placing a sympathetic hand on Amelia's shoulder. "However, we must go very carefully from now on. We don't want to malign an innocent person."

"Also, we have to ensure Prince Philionel's safety wherever he goes," added Zel. He sighed. "The addition of Mazoku into any situation always makes it worse."

"I couldn't agree more," said Amelia. "That's why we need Justice!"

Lina, Zelgadiss and Kera sweatdropped.

"Excuse me, but is there a Lina Inverse here?" came a voice of a servant girl.

"That would be me," said Lina, getting up from her seat. "What is it?"

"Someone told me to pass this letter to you," she said as she approached them and handed an envelope to Lina.

"Oooooh! Perhaps it's a love letter!" said Amelia.

"That is definitely not possible," said Gourry confidently.

Lina punched him in the stomach. "Shut up!"

Frightened by this show of violence, the servant girl started to retreat towards the doorway. "Wait! Who sent me this letter?" Lina asked.

Unfortunately, she was too late. The servant girl had disappeared over the edge of the terrace. "She's fallen down," remarked Gourry, restating the obvious.

"Never mind," said Lina as she carelessly flung the envelope over her shoulder. "Not that I would even read this."

Kera walked over and picked up the fallen envelope and handed it back to Lina. "Well, at least you could see who it was from."

"Yeah, you shouldn't waste a person's hard work," added Zel.

"Fine, fine," said Lina as she started to open the envelope. As she read the letter, her expression changed. "Oh!"

"What does it say, Lina-san?" Amelia asked eagerly.

"It says… 'I have information on the attempted murder on Prince Philionel. Please go to the mansion at the western edge of the city'," read Lina.

"Who is it from?" asked Kera.

"It's from… Alfred."

~ ~ ~ End of Chapter 12 ~ ~ ~

__

Stay tuned for Chapter 13. It's coming soon! I promise.


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